The Road to the Pokémon League
by LiquidNitrous
Summary: Everyone in Pallet Town is expected to leave home at age ten. It's encouraged so much, that it had practically become a tradition. But what happens when one unlucky ten year old's parents don't want their son to leave? He goes and does it anyway. Join Daniel and his friends on The Road to the Pokémon League!
1. Let's get this Show on the Road!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

_Everyone has a dream. A dream that fills their heart. A journey they must take. A destiny to fulfill. Closer than you can imagine exists an incredible place, where wondrous creatures with incredible powers help make dreams come true. It's the world of Pokémon. People can capture Pokémon to be more than just pets. Human Trainers and their Pokémon compete against others in amazing contests of skill and strategy. The best Trainers one day become Pokémon Masters. That's a dream that burns brightly for many. As the next generation of Trainers, you are eligible to begin your Pokémon Journey on your tenth birthday. You'll receive your very first Poké Ball. Inside will be a Pokémon with whom you'll spark a lifelong friendship. You and your Pokémon will be determined to fulfill your dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. Along the way, you'll meet friends, rivals and comrades, in the incredible world of Pokémon. _

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><p>Daniel had heard the Pokémon League's advertisement so many times on TV that he could practically recite it off by heart. For the children of Pallet Town, going on a Pokémon Journey was a rite of passage and was expected of them to undertake one. It was the 27th of December and soon the other children that were Daniel's age would follow tradition and leave home to compete in the Indigo League. But there was one small problem…<p>

"Hey Daniel, what Pokémon are ya gonna choose?" A boy asked. Daniel gulped. He had neglected to tell them one small thing. "My parents….don't want me going on a journey." Shame filled Daniel and he looked down, tears beginning to fill his deep brown eyes. His birthday had been last week, and was as excited as the next kid to get his first Pokémon, until his parents crushed his dreams.

"What?! Why?" Another child exclaimed, this time a girl with bouncy pigtails. All the other upcoming Trainers in the room also had an expression of confusion on their faces.

"They said they w-wanted me to stay in school and study…," he choked. The room was suddenly silent, until another person spoke up. "That's not fair! No one should miss out on the chance to become a Trainer!" Daniel looked up and saw the person who spoke. He looked about fourteen. "What your name kid?"

"Daniel…" Daniel mumbled. The Trainer smiled.

"I'm Rodger, nice to meet you," he said, shaking Daniel's hand. Suddenly, another voice spoke, this one older. "Alright children, the re runs are over, you should be getting home. And remember to think hard about your Pokémon." All the children in the room who had been watching re runs of previous Indigo Leagues got up and left. As Daniel was exiting the room, Rodger's hand steered him towards the back yard of Professor Oaks laboratory.

"You can't go on a journey because of your parents? Why not?" Daniel grimaced.

"They told me I couldn't because I could never be successful at it…they said I should just study to do a 'real job'." Rodger frowned. His parents were supportive of him no matter what. Then an idea came to him.

"Daniel… you really want to be a Trainer don't you?" At this, Daniel gave a small smile.

"Yeah, but I guess I'll never get the chance." Rodger smiled.

"Actually, you can. Legally, you can embark become a Trainer when you turn ten. You could drop out of school now if you wanted." Daniel's face lit up at this, but fell quickly again.

"I don't have any sort of gear though…" Rodger smirked, he knew just what to do.

"You don't have any gear yet, but we're gonna go to the mall right now and get you some. I have more than enough money to buy you everything you'll need. We can go into the lab right now and ask Professor Oak to program you a Pokédex and we can make you an official Trainers account on the Pokémon League website!"

Daniel's brain was moving at a million miles an hour. He could go on a Pokémon Journey! And even better, _no one could stop him!_ "Rodger…. You'd really do that for me?" He asked.

"Of course! No one should miss out on being a Trainer! Let's go inside and tell the Professor!

* * *

><p>After Professor Oak agreed to program Daniel a Pokédex, they headed to the Pallet Mall. Once inside, they headed to Adventagear, a large store that sold anything that any explorer needed.<p>

"Well first, you'll need a Poké Ball belt."

After buying everything that was needed, Daniel and Rodger sat down at one of the pay computers in the mall and got onto the Pokémon League website. "Now we need to make you a Trainer account. This is what Professor Oak will link to your Pokédex. First, I need to put your birthdate in." Daniel nodded and replied,

"17th December 2000." Rodger nodded.

"Happy birthday by the way." Daniel smiled and thanked him.

After registering, the pair left the Pallet mall and walked to Daniel's house. His parents were at work still, so they were alone. "You need to hide that bag somewhere where it won't be found. It'll be all for nothing if someone finds it," Rodger said. Daniel nodded.

"Thank you Rodger, I really appreciate this." Rodger nodded and departed. Walking into his yard, Daniel contemplated what to do with the bag. First, he thought of putting it in his cupboard, but his parents might find it if they decided to clean. He thought of putting it in the shed because his parents never went in there and decided that was the best idea.

The days passed by and Daniel continued to keep his secret from his parents. He continued his ruse of pretending to enjoy his Christmas holidays and looking as if he was looking forward to another school year and the deception was making him feel terrible. On more than one occasion he was tempted to spill the beans to his parents but somehow, he managed to hold out until January 1st, the day that all ten year olds who had reached the iconic age would leave Pallet.

It was five thirty in the morning and both of Daniel's parents had already left for work. They hadn't ever celebrated New Years Day and they weren't about to start. Daniel had made sure to wake up early so he could get his Pokémon and be out of Pallet by around seven-thirty. He thought about leaving a note for his parents explaining his feelings and why he was leaving. Getting a sheet of paper from the family printer, he got to work.

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><p><em>Dear mom and dad. You probably know that today is the day that everyone gets to leave pallet town and become pokemon trainers. Ive told you a lot of times that I want to be one too so ive left pallet and gone on a jouney too. Its hard for me to do this but it is what I really want in life so thats why Im leaving. Im sorry it had to be this way but I had no choice. I will make pallet town and you proud. Love Daniel.<em>

Looking at his note, Daniel was satisfied. But that that moment, a wave of emotion washed over him. All at once, Daniel felt excitement, regret, happiness and guilt. He wasn't lying when he said it was an extremely difficult decision for him, but he also knew he had to adhere to tradition and leave. He didn't know how his parents would react, but he knew that by the time they returned and saw his note, he would be long gone.

Taking one last look around the living room, he exited his house, locking the door. He walked around to the shed and retrieved the bag that Rodger had supplied him with. Hurrying, he began at a swift pace towards Professor Oak's lab.

Soon, the familiar windmill came into view, and Daniel broke into a jog. He rushed up the stairs and knocked on the door. A man with a headband answered. "Daniel? What are you doing here? I didn't know you were leaving too…" Daniel gulped and his mind began to race frantically, looking for an answer. But before he could say anything, Tracey grinned.

"That's awesome that you can go on a journey now though! Come on in!" Tracey stepped aside and motioned for Daniel to follow him. As he followed Tracey, Daniel counted his lucky stars.

* * *

><p>Finally, they arrived in a room with metallic blue tiles on the floor. Sitting in a chair and reading a newspaper was none other than Professor Oak. Daniel was worried. What would the Professor say to him? This must be an unusual case for him. "So, Rodger told me to expect you. I just want to say that you're doing something very brave. You'll make Pallet Town proud." The Professor clapped his hands together. "Now, what Pokémon would you like, Squirtle, Bulbasaur or Charmander?" Daniel had always known what Pokémon he would pick if he got the chance. With a deep breath, he replied, "I choose Squirtle."<p>

* * *

><p>Professor Oak smiled and went over to a shelf. "In that case, I think this Squirtle will be a perfect match for you," he said, handing Daniel a Poké Ball. Daniel felt the red and white sphere in his hand. It had a comfortable weight to it, and the metal was quite shiny. "You know the drill Daniel, squeeze the Poké Ball to shrink it, press the button to enlarge it." Daniel nodded. "And here, I have something else," Oak said as he walked over to another shelf. On it sat several sleek red rectangular devices with a blue LED on the top left corner. Professor Oak picked up one and handed it to Daniel. "This is your Pokédex. You can use it to scan up to 721 registered Pokémon, and soon even more will be programmed in. It is also a list of your captured Pokémon and it can serve as your Trainer ID as well. Here, open it." Daniel complied and opened the lid. On the left side was a screen and a d-pad and the right had a smaller screen and blue buttons on it. "Now, press the yellow button there." Upon pressing it, the Pokédex came to life, with a picture of Daniel appearing on the screen. It said, <em><strong>'This is a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Daniel Robertson of the town of Pallet. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.' <strong>_

"And here I have something else for you. Six Poké Balls in case you come across wild Pokémon. You should buy more when you get the chance. You can win money by beating Gym Leaders as well."

After thanking Professor Oak, Daniel left the lab and made his way towards Route 1. As he walked on the dirt road, a tight feeling in his chest, the newly dubbed Pokémon Trainer of Pallet made his way towards Viridian City, his first hurdle on the road to the Pokémon League.

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><p>► <strong>To Be Continued…<strong>

**Hi! I'm Nitrous. Writing a Pokémon fanfic about an OC has been something I've wanted to do for a long time. This fanfic takes place in the Anime universe, so you can expect to see some aspects of it here. The story will be about a ten year old who goes against his parents' wishes and becomes a Pokémon Trainer. Anyone willing to beta read and give me a hand would be greatly appreciated, as will any additional advice from anyone else. If you're so inclined, please leave a review down below and give me some feedback, whether it be good or bad. Thanks for reading! **


	2. The Trial of the Trainer!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**Hello Pokémon fans! I'm back for another chapter. I worked quite hard on this one, so please enjoy! Without further ado, let's get on with the show! (Opening title theme plays)**

**The Trial of the Trainer!**

It was about midday. The summer Kanto sun beat down on the back of Daniel's neck relentlessly. Apart from a few scurrying Rattata, there was no wild Pokémon to be seen. They were probably sleeping in their nests. At least Squirtle seemed to like his new Trainer. Taking a sip from his drink bottle, Daniel figured it was time for a break. Walking to the nearest tree, the Trainer removed his backpack and plopped down on top of a tree root. He contemplated taking Squirtle out of his Poké Ball, but decided to spare the little blue Pokémon from the heat. Wiping his brow, he reached into his bag and produced a sandwich that had been made after leaving that note on his dinner table. Another wave of guilt washed over him as soon as he thought of what he did. Even though Pallet was well and truly out of sight, he still thought of his parents, still at work, thinking that he was in home comfortably in the air conditioning. You know, he could probably make it back home before the end of the day if he wanted to, but Daniel quickly dismissed the thought.

* * *

><p>After finishing the sandwich, Daniel resumed walking on the road. Mercifully, a breeze began to blow, ruffling his chocolate hair. By three-thirty, the temperature began to drop. Daniel had been hoping to capture a Pokémon, but luck didn't seem to be on side. He had honestly been expecting to see scores of wild Pokémon like on TV but the land was deserted. He decided walk for a little longer and then make a camp on the side of the road. By six-fifteen, he had set up his sleeping bag in a clean area and had gathered sticks on the ground. After clearing the ground of grass so he didn't start a bushfire, he set up the sticks in a pile and lit them with his lighter. Then he had an idea. Walking to the nearest shrub, he picked off several handfuls of leaves. Thinking he was about to get a larger fire, he threw the leaves on. He regretted it almost immediately, because produced a lot of smoke, making him cough and splutter. Squirtle, who he had released earlier, began to complain.<p>

"Squirtle! Squirt Squirtle!" _Ah! Stop it!_

Daniel, even though he could not yet understand Squirtle, got the general idea. Stupidly, he threw the remainder of one of his water bottles on top of the blaze. However, it served to do nothing at all! Before he could consider his next move, Squirtle shot a stream of water at the fire, dousing it. "Phew….Good job Squirtle," he said. Walking over to his sleeping bag, Daniel inspected his things. Thankfully, they looked to be unharmed. Looking around their campsite, he noticed that the majority of the ground was wet. "Well, we can't stay here can we?"

* * *

><p>After moving to a drier spot and setting up camp, Daniel was leaning against a tree. It was about seven in the evening. By now, his parents would be home…! What if they decided to try to find him?! Surveying his new spot, it was about seventy meters from the road, and since the sun was blocked by the distant Mt Silver, it was hard to see without directly shining a light on it. Somewhat satisfied that his camp would not be spotted, Daniel relaxed. He was scared of sleeping in the wilderness alone, but finally, he drifted off.<p>

He awoke the next morning with Squirtle in his arms. He smiled. The little Pokémon seemed to have taken a liking to him. Luckily, he was right. He slept through the night undetected. The sun cast an orange glow across the land, so Daniel guessed it was still early in the morning. Suddenly, he felt a sudden movement on his chest. Looking down, he saw that Squirtle was awake.

"Urgh, good morning," he said, sitting up. To be honest, his back kind of hurt from sleeping on the hard ground. Standing up, he began to roll his sleeping bag up. He stomped on his campfire, putting out any remaining embers and put on his Poké Ball belt, with six empty Poké Balls attached to the back. He returned Squirtle to his Poké Ball and set off.

* * *

><p>By ten in the morning, the heat was beginning to come back. However, there were considerably more wild Pokémon roaming around then yesterday. Looking to his left, a group of Pidgey were scratching around in the dirt. He produced his Pokédex and pointed it at the Pidgey. The screen came on and it said, <strong>Pidgey is a flying Pokémon. Of all the flying Pokémon it is the gentlest and easiest to capture. A perfect target for the beginning Pokémon Trainer to test his Pokémon's skills.<strong> Deciding to try his luck on one of them, he plucked Squirtle's Poké Ball from his belt and lobbed it into the air. With a distinct popping sound, Squirtle materialized on the ground. "Okay Squirtle, we're about to capture our very first Pokémon, so get ready!" Squirtle nodded and got into a ready position.

* * *

><p>"Squirtle, go get one!" Daniel yelled. Squirtle began to run at one of the Pidgey. All of them took off into the air, except one was too slow and was slammed into by Squirtle. It slid along the ground. When it stopped, it got to its feet and flapped its wings, sending sand into the air.<p>

"Oh! What's that!?"

It blinded Squirtle, causing it to flail around helplessly. "Oh no!" Daniel had seen quite a lot of Pokémon Battles on TV, but actually being in one was totally different! Thinking fast, he remembered that Squirtle could use Water Gun.

"Squirtle, try a Water Gun!" The blue Pokémon opened his mouth and shot a steady stream of water , blasting a hole in the sand cloud and clipping the wild Pidgey's wings. The bird Pokémon shook in mid air and then crash-landed on the ground. Seizing his chance, Daniel grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt, enlarged it and pegged it at the wild Pidgey. With a flash of red light, Pidgey was sucked into the ball. It closed and began to shake on the ground. After about thirty seconds, it stopped shaking and made a sharp _ping! _For a second, Daniel stood there, stunned. Then, a large grin broke out on his face. He'd done it! He'd caught his first Pokémon ever, and on his first try as well!

"We did it Squirtle!" he yelled, elated. He ran over to the Poké Ball, its shiny metal gleaming in the sun. Cradling it in his arms, he bent down to Squirtle's height and held out the Poké Ball.

"Look Squirtle! This is our first ever friend we made together!"

"Squirt!" _Yay! _Tossing the Poké Ball into the air, it opened and deposited Pidgey onto the ground.

"Hi Pidgey! I'm Daniel, your new Trainer. Oh, and this is Squirtle." Pidgey cocked her head to the side and looked at the rookie Trainer and his Pokémon with wide brown eyes. Then, she gave a happy cooing noise.

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><p>Later on, it was really beginning to get hot. Being in the Southern hemisphere meant that Kanto got absolutely terrible heat at the start of the year, and Daniel was really feeling the effects of it now. His two Pokémon didn't seem to faring much better either. Because Squirtle and Pidgey had become friends so quickly, he had decided to keep them outside of their Poké Balls. Panting, Daniel had no choice but to stop for yet another break.<p>

"Phew. This heat is awful…," he said to no one in particular.

The trio was resting under a tree on the side of the road. Having nothing else to do, Daniel pulled out his Pokédex and opened it, revealing the main menu screen. The options read: Pokémon List, General Information, Trainer ID and Party. Intrigued, he pressed the last option. Six slots appeared on the screen, with two filled. The first one was labeled 'Squirtle' and the second one said 'Pidgey'. Upon selecting Squirtle, a sub menu came up. The options on this one were: 'Moves', 'Summary' and 'Send to Lab'. When he chose the 'Moves' option, he was told that Squirtle could use Tackle, Withdraw and Water Gun. Then, it occurred to him that he didn't know what Pidgey could use. When he looked it up, he saw it listed with Gust, Sand Attack and Quick Attack. Satisfied, he put away his Pokédex and called his Pokémon to him before resuming the journey through the scorching January heat.

The remainder of the day was uneventful and so was the day after that. The only thing of real importance that happened was that the trio encountered a river, from which they gleefully took advantage of. Restocking water bottles and even swimming for a short time was the break they needed from the temperature. Finally, mercifully, Daniel, Squirtle and Pidgey made it to Viridian City, covered in sweat and dirt. They successfully navigated their way to the city Pokémon Center and obtained a room, put the air conditioner to fifteen degrees and fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>oOo<strong>

**Next time…**

**Daniel goes to the Viridian Gym in search of his first Indigo League Badge! For more, make sure to stay tuned!**

► **To Be Continued….**

**Hi, it's me again! This one took a while to write, but something good did happen out of it. Daniel caught his first Pokémon, Pidgey and made it to Viridian City through the heat. I'm going to state here that Kanto uses the metric system in this story and that the seasons follow those of countries in the Southern hemisphere. If you read it, please leave a review down below and tell me what you think. **


	3. Viridian City Dilemma!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**Hey guys, I'm back for Chapter Three! This is where the story will really kick into gear, being the 'official' beginning of Daniel's Badge quest. Without further ado, let's get started! **

***Opening title theme plays***

**Viridian City Dilemma!**

Viridian City wasn't like Pallet Town. Daniel was surprised that two places so close together were so different. Unlike Pallet, Viridian wasn't quiet. The general hustle of the big city was unsettling, and it was easy to get lost. After a good night's sleep, Daniel left the Pokémon Center in search of the Gym. What he thought would be an easy task turned out to be a difficult mission. Instead of finding the site of his first Gym Battle, Daniel had instead ended up in a park. Cursing himself, he sat down at a nearby bench. When he'd arrived at Viridian, the Pokémon Center was easy to find. It was easily distinguishable from other buildings thanks to its red roof. He had assumed that the Gym would also be simple to locate, but thus far he had no luck. Getting up, he continued his search. While he was looking around, he didn't notice someone standing in front of him, and proceeded to run into them.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going," he said, feeling foolish. He looked up and saw who he'd run into. It was a girl who looked to be about fourteen. She had long brown hair and shining blue eyes. She smiled. "That's alright. I'm Maddie by the way."

"Hi, I'm Daniel, nice to meet you."

"You know Daniel, you look a bit lost. I might be able to help you." Daniel's face lit up. This person might be able to show him where the Gym was! "Yeah I am. I was wondering if you know where the Gym is?"

"Oh! You're going to the Gym? I was just there! You must be a Pokémon Trainer, right?" Daniel nodded, and Maddie motioned for him to follow her. While they were walking, Maddie said, "I'm in Viridian for an assignment for school. You see, I go to a Pokémon Breeders school in Saffron City. I'm learning how to be a breeder, and this is my final exam." Daniel was interested. He hadn't met a Pokémon Breeder before. "So what exactly do you do in this breeder's school?"

Maddie smiled. She hadn't met anyone who was this interested in her schooling before. "I'm glad you asked. I've been going to the Pokémon Breeders College for three years now. It's a great place to go if you want to learn how to raise Pokémon the best way possible. Every now and then we have a hands-on kind of thing. And right now, I'm on my final assignment, the most difficult one yet. But if I pass, I get to graduate with a degree in Pokémon handling." This intrigued Daniel. In Pallet, if one wanted to learn how to interact with Pokémon, they went to Professor Oak's ranch and did it themselves. "So what do you have to do on your last assignment?"

"We have to go out on our own to capture and raise our own team of Pokémon all on our own."

"So like a Trainer?" Daniel asked. Maddie shook her head.

"Not quite. We don't go and earn Gym Badges like you. Our goal is to raise Pokémon to be the best they can be. It's similar to being a Trainer, but we accomplish raising Pokémon differently to you."

"So how come you can to Viridian if you didn't come for a Badge?"

"This is just where I was dropped off. Everyone in my class was dropped off in a different place around Kanto." Daniel nodded. It seemed like a very interesting school. Maybe if he had the opportunity to go to it, he wouldn't have left Pallet. They walked the remainder of the way in silence until they arrived at an orange building.

"This is the Gym. Follow me and I'll take you to the Leader." Daniel nodded and followed Maddie into the building. Inside, was a large battlefield. Maddie looked and Daniel and said, "Go for it." Then she walked into the bleachers. Daniel made his way to one end of the field and yelled,

"I challenge this Gym!" His voice echoed loudly, bouncing off of the stone walls. A door at the back of the Gym opened and out walked a rather tall man with spiky hair. "Fine with me kid. How many Badges you got?"

"None yet, but soon I'll have my first!" The Leader frowned. Another young Trainer, with a healthy dose of bravado. He walked up to Daniel and said, "Sorry kid, I can't battle you. League regulations say that the Viridian Gym _must_ be your final challenge." Daniel was shocked. "Aw what?! That sucks!" The Leader smiled. "I really am sorry. You'd be surprised how many people I have to turn away. If you're looking for another Gym, I suggest going to Pewter City. You'll have to go through Viridian Forest to get there. Good luck on your journey." With that, the unnamed Gym Leader turned around and went back through the door. "That's unfortunate," a voice said behind Daniel. He spun around and saw Maddie standing behind him. "I might as well go back to the Pokémon Center and get my stuff…" Daniel said.

"I can get you there. I have a map of Viridian City."

Once they got back to the Pokémon Center and Daniel retrieved his things and checked out of his room, they decided to get lunch. While waiting for their meals, Maddie asked Daniel what he planned to do. "The Gym Leader told me that the closest Gym was in Pewter, so I might as well go there. How about you?"

"Oh that's lucky. I got a call from my friend and he told me that he was dropped off in Pewter. I was going to go there as well! I bet it would be safer if we went through the Viridian Forest together." Maddie said, smiling. Daniel agreed to her idea. He had taken a liking to Maddie and was grateful that she had helped him navigate Viridian City.

After eating lunch, the duo headed north, following Route 2. Maddie had said that it would be a few hours before they arrived at the actual forest. During that time, Daniel introduced his two Pokémon to Maddie. She was impressed at the budding friendship that had formed between Daniel, Squirtle and Pidgey. Maddie also showed Daniel the Pokémon she had also managed to befriend. She had caught a Meowth just outside Saffron City. Daniel had scanned it with his Pokédex and learnt that Meowth enjoyed collecting shiny objects.

Daniel was pleasantly surprised that it was not nearly as hot today as it was yesterday and as such, he and Maddie had managed to cover more ground, arriving at the entrance of Viridian Forest by four- thirty. They agreed to stop for the night and tackle the forest in the morning. After making a fire and cooking a simple dinner of canned beans on toast, Maddie asked, "So where are you from Daniel?" Daniel swallowed his mouthful of toast and replied, "I'm from Pallet Town. Well actually, I'm from Vermillion, but I moved to Pallet when I was really young, so I just say I'm from Pallet. You're from Saffron though right? What's it like?" Maddie smiled.

"Saffron City's great. It has just about everything! I really like going to the Silph Building there, cos I get to see all the new stuff they make. You know that the Master Ball was developed there?" Daniel did not know that. "That's really cool." Too bad Master Balls were quite a controversial topic, and were currently illegal thanks to an incident about fifteen years ago. There was currently a court-case going on against the Pokémon League. A group of Trainers want to lift the ban on Master Balls. Truthfully, Daniel could care less. Even if they were made legal, no one would be able to afford such a powerful item. Maddie snapped him out of his thoughts. "So Daniel, what do you like about Pallet Town? I've never been there before, but I hear that it's a nice place." Daniel thought long and hard. Truthfully, he did like Pallet, but it was also a place he'd rather forget.

"Pallet's a nice place I guess. I like Professor Oak's lab there. Especially the parties that were thrown at the end of every year when all of the Trainers from Pallet came home. The best ones are always whenever one of our Trainers wins a League or something like that. But the last time that happened was when I was about six. A Trainer won some Pokémon League. I can't remember his name though. I think it started with an 'A'." Maddie nodded.

"Pallet seems like a nice place. I'd love to go there one day," she said. Then Daniel wondered something. "So where are you gonna go after we get to Pewter?" Maddie looked thoughtful.

"I honestly don't know. How about you?" Daniel stared into the fire, the orange flames were memorizing as they flickered across his face. "I suppose I'll go wherever there's a Gym." Daniel knew that he had a map of the entire Kanto region, but he had never really looked at it. Reaching into his bag, he pulled it out. "Well, Pewter has a Gym obviously, but the closest town to Pewter with a Gym is Cerulean City." Daniel had came to enjoy having human company, and he would be sad when Maddie left. But there was no use thinking about it now. It was ten at night, and their three Pokémon had long since gone to sleep. Daniel figured he may as well do the same. He announced that he was going to bed, and lay down in his sleeping bag, a pleasant breeze blowing through the south-western Kanto region…

**Next Time….**

**Daniel and Maddie attempt to tackle the overgrown wilderness that is Viridian Forest, and Daniel learns what it is truly like to be a Trainer! More adventure is coming up, so stay tuned!**

► **To Be Continued….**

**Hi everyone, I'm back and with Chapter 3! I introduced another OC character this time as well. She served as a kind of supporting character to Daniel this time, and it was a challenge to try my hand at character interaction, so be sure to let me know how I did. If you fell like it, please tell me what you thought down below and how I could improve it for future chapters. Thanks! **


	4. Battling Your Heart Out!

**The Road to the Pokémon League **

**Hey guys! I've been working around the clock to get this done, so enjoy!**

***Opening title theme plays* **

**Battling Your Heart Out!**

Daniel remembered the great temperature from yesterday. It was a lovely seventeen degrees. But today was a different story. It was seven in the morning and already it was twenty-five and climbing. He had awoken to find himself covered in sweat. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Daniel saw Maddie also stirring uncomfortably in her own sleep. Looking over to where their three Pokémon were, he could see that they were asleep also. Shrugging, he decided he might as well make himself some breakfast.

After re-lighting the campfire, he began to cook himself some toast. He must have been noisy, because the commotion caused Maddie to wake up. "Morning," she greeted him. Daniel returned the gesture and she came over and sat down next to him, adding her own bread to the fire. "Gosh…It's gonna be really hot today. It's unfortunate, especially since we have to walk through the forest today too." Daniel groaned. He'd forgotten about that. "Well that sucks. I thought we could make it through in one day…" Maddie shook her head at this. "Look at the map though. Viridian Forest is huge! It'll take us two days at least." Daniel groaned again. He knew he shouldn't complain, especially since he brought his entire journey on himself, but luck really wasn't on his side today. "Well, we may as well get started. No point complaining about it," said Maddie. Daniel agreed, somewhat reluctantly. They packed up their things, tended to their Pokémon and left the campsite.

It was a really bright day today, but the deep, dark Viridian Forest seemed to absolutely suck the sunlight away, leaving the traveling Trainers in a dim glow. Every few meters, a small ray of sunlight would peek out from the shadows, covering the ground in bright pinpricks. The bushes rattled and shook with the sound of wild Pokémon scurrying around. Daniel thought of maybe catching one, but before he could, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Hey you!" Daniel whirled around and saw a guy with a straw hat and a net emerging from the bushes. "You must be a Trainer from Viridian. I've seen a lot of 'em these past few days."

"Oh, well I'm actually from Pallet. Nice to meet you, I'm Daniel," said Daniel. He turned to Maddie and she introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Maddie," she said. The Trainer nodded.

"So, either of you up for a battle?" Daniel tensed up. He was being challenged to a battle!

"I'm up for one," he replied. There was no going back now!

"Sweet, how many Pokémon you got?" Daniel told the Trainer that he had two Pokémon. He agreed for a two-on-two battle and the two Trainers took their positions. The Trainer pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it in the air. With a popping sound and a slash of white light, a Caterpie appeared. It occurred to Daniel that he'd better register it in his Pokédex, so he pointed it at the Caterpie to see what it had to say. **Caterpie is a common Bug Pokémon found in forests. Out of all the Pokémon, it seems to evolve the quickest. **Looking through the additional notes, he saw that it was recommended that he use a Poison, Flying or Rock type. Following the Pokédex's advice, he found Pidgey's Poké Ball and threw it into the air and Pidgey materialized, ready for battle.

Without any hesitation, the Trainer called, "Caterpie, Tackle attack!" Like a trained basketball player, Caterpie seemed to glide through the air and slam into Pidgey. The brown flying Pokémon smashed into the ground with a painful _cheep!_

"Ah! Use Gust!" Daniel yelled. Pidgey got up off the ground and flew up high and began to flap her wings, causing a strong wind to pick up. The Gust attack sped through the air and slammed into Caterpie, sending the Bug Pokémon flying into a tree. "Yeah, great job Pidgey!"

"Pidg Pidgeoo!" _Thanks!_

"Caterpie, return!" the Trainer said as he returned his fallen Pokémon to its Poké Ball. "Your Pidgey may have easily beaten my Caterpie, but this next one will be totally different! Go, Beedrill!" A large Beedrill appeared on the makeshift battlefield. Daniel knew what a Beedrill was. Every kid in Pallet was taught to be wary of wild Beedrill, but this one was anything but wild.

"Pidgey you can handle it right? Use Gust!" Like before, Pidgey flapped her wings and sent a large gust of wind at Beedrill. Daniel grinned, thinking that the battle would be over, but then something surprising happened!

"Beedrill, dodge!" In a swift motion, Beedrill moved to the left. "Alright, now use Twineedle!" Like a bullet, Beedrill sped towards Pidgey. Daniel watched, helpless as Beedrill struck Pidgey with its first stinger, then with its second one! Pidgey squeezed her eyes shut in pain and began to plummet.

"Oh no! Pidgey!" Daniel called. But it was too late, and Pidgey rammed into the ground and lay still. Running over to his Pokémon, Daniel gently picked her up and took her over to Maddie, who was watching, shocked at the ruthlessness of the Beedrill.

"P-please Maddie… Look after Pidgey." Maddie nodded. She had been training for something like this at the Saffron Academy for Pokémon Breeders. She knew just what to do.

"Go and finish the battle. I can help make Pidgey feel better." Daniel wiped his eyes and nodded. He walked back to where he was standing before. Gritting his teeth, he pushed Pidgey to the back of his mind and focused on winning his first battle.

"We're gonna win this for Pidgey! Go Squirtle!" he yelled as he tossed his second Poké Ball into the air, sending out his first Pokémon.

"Squirtle Squirt!" _Let's do this! _The opposing Trainer grinned.

"Looks like we're getting serious now. Beedrill, give 'em another Twineedle!" Like before, Beedrill sped towards Squirtle. But this time, Beedrill wasn't the only one who was quick. As soon as the Trainer had given the order, Daniel had responded with his own.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" Squirtle followed Daniel's orders and tucked itself away in his shell. Beedrill's stingers stabbed twice at Squirtle's shell, but the attack seemed to do nothing!

"Now, use Water Gun Squirtle!" The tiny turtle Pokémon popped out of his shell and fired a steady stream of water at the unsuspecting Beedrill, sending it backwards and soaking its wings at the same time!

"Grr! Beedrill, Poison Sting!" The downed Pokémon raised its stingers and out shot a series of purple darts. They slammed into Squirtle, doing damage. Daniel had seen enough Pokémon battles on TV and in person to know that Poison Sting had a secondary effect, but luckily Squirtle wasn't poisoned. But even if the dreaded poison didn't take effect, the attack still hurt, and Squirtle winced in pain. Daniel knew he needed to end the battle fast.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun from a distance!" Squirtle jumped back until he was a few meters away from Beedrill and used Water Gun.

"Squirtle!" A steady stream of water blasted towards the grounded Beedrill.

"Not so fast! Poison Sting to block!" The Beedrill shot the purple darts once more from its stingers and the Water Gun was reduced to a steaming haze.

"I know I have some sort of advantage, but I have no idea how to use it!" Daniel said under his breath. He knew that Squirtle could shrug off all of Beedrill's attacks using Withdraw, but as soon as he emerged out of his shell, the blasted bee would force him to retreat! He looked over at Maddie, who was spraying something onto Pidgey. His poor Pidgey…

Suddenly, an idea came to him! What if Squirtle could use Water Gun while inside his shell! But he needed to get close first. Luck must have been on his side, because another idea graced him.

"Squirtle, go into your shell and use Water Gun to propel yourself at Beedrill!" Squirtle retreated into his shell and shot a Water Gun past his Trainer. Daniel's idea must have worked, because as soon as he performed the attack, it caused the turtle Pokémon to slide across the ground towards Beedrill.

"Beedrill knock it back with Twineedle!" Ordered the Trainer. Beedrill tried to adjust its body so it could use Twineedle, but was far too slow, and was smashed into by Squirtle. Beedrill soared through the air and landed on the ground with a thud.

"Daniel!" Maddie called from the sidelines. Daniel looked her way. "Daniel, that attack is Rapid Spin! Squirtle just learned to use it!" A new move? That was lucky. Daniel looked at Beedrill. The bug was on the ground, its Trainer screaming at it to get up. But its efforts were futile, and Beedrill collapsed on the ground, defeated.

"Yeah Squirtle! We won!" Daniel shouted, absolutely elated. He ran over to Squirtle and scooped him up.

"Congrats Daniel!" Maddie also said. The opposing Trainer returned his Beedrill to its Poké Ball and began to walk away. But Daniel paid him no mind. Still holding Squirtle, he went over to where Pidgey was lying.

"Did you see Pidgey? We won!" Pidgey weakly turned her head and cooed. Maddie put her hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Pidgey was poisoned pretty bad, but I managed to cure it. She'll be fine. But good job on the battle by the way. I almost didn't believe you weren't a beginning Trainer." Daniel nodded his head. He'd had a few mock battles behind his parents back at Professor Oak's lab before, but they weren't nearly as intense as the one he'd just experienced. He let out a laugh.

The sun was beginning to go down and the humidity of the Viridian Forest was subsiding. The group had set up camp in a clearing and eaten dinner already. But Daniel wasn't tired. He was too busy replaying the battle in his head. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see were different parts of it. He still felt guilty about what happened to Pidgey, but the bird didn't seem to be angry at him. She was resting in her Poké Ball right now. The group hadn't come across any other people today. Daniel wondered how his family was doing in Pallet Town. Were they out looking for him right now? Sighing, Daniel angled his himself so he was leaning against a tree trunk and looking up at the orange sky. Why weren't they supportive of him? Daniel supposed it was because they weren't from Pallet Town. They couldn't understand what being a Pokémon Trainer meant. Just then, Maddie moved over to Daniel.

"Hey. You've been sitting there for ages. What's going on?" Daniel smiled. It was good to have a friend like her, even if he hadn't known her for long. He'd be sad when she left.

"I'm just thinking about home." Maddie smiled.

"So you miss your parents?" Daniel frowned and turned to look at her.

"Sorta. I mean, they were nice and all, but er… they're not exactly the most reasonable." Maddie looked perplexed.

"What do you mean?" Daniel let out a sigh.

"If it was up to them, I wouldn't be out here right now. They didn't want me to be a Trainer. Instead, they told me I should forget about all that 'Pokémon nonsense' and study until I can get a good job."

"So you convinced them to let you go?" Daniel looked away.

"No. See, a couple of weeks ago is when they told me to forget about getting a license. So when I went to tell everyone, they were surprised. But then a guy helped me get everything I needed, and I left Pallet on the 1st like everyone else." Maddie was shocked. She'd only known Daniel for a few days, but she didn't think that he was capable of something like that. Suddenly, she felt very fortunate. She could go home whenever she wanted, but Daniel probably didn't have that.

"Wow Daniel…. I had no idea." Daniel looked up and smiled sadly.

"Yeah, well it doesn't matter anymore. I'll show 'em they were wrong at the Pokémon League…"

**Next Time….**

**Our group of Trainers makes it out of the Viridian Forest! Daniel goes to the Pewter Gym in search of a Gym Badge and Maddie meets who she came for! More exciting adventure is coming up, so stay tuned!**

► **To Be Continued….**

**Welcome back everyone, and I hope you enjoyed this 'episode'! I tried my hand at writing Pokémon battles and I hope I pulled it off. Please tell me how I did in the review section. As always, constructive criticism is welcome, so if you have time, please take a few minutes to tell me how I did! I'm still looking for a Beta Reader so if you'd like to help out, be sure to leave a review saying so, or PM me! See you next time!**


	5. Caught between a Rock and a hard place!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**What's up everyone? I know it's been nearly two weeks since last episode, but I'm back with Chapter 5. So without further ado, let's get started!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**Caught between a Rock and a hard place!**

* * *

><p>The Viridian Forest felt like an endless sea of green fauna and flora. Everywhere Daniel looked was endless shades of green, except for a few colorful flowers here and there. On the other hand, Pewter City, located just a few hours walk from the northern side of Viridian Forest, was a massive, albeit nice contrast with its industrial grey and silver.<p>

"It feels nice to be finally outside of that forest, huh Daniel?" Maddie asked. Daniel nodded vigorously.

"Yeah it does. It was far too humid in there." It was still quite warm today, but it wasn't a sticky and wet kind of warm and that made the duo grateful. Daniel and Maddie were on Route 2, walking on the short lane towards Pewter City. It was morning and the group expected to arrive in Pewter by early afternoon. The plan was for Daniel to win the Badge before they split up.

"So Daniel, where were you going to go after you get the Badge again?" Maddie asked.

"I was gonna go through Mt Moon and hopefully catch a Pokémon or something, then go to Cerulean City after that. So did you work out where you wanted to go?" Maddie shook her head.

"Maybe me and my friend will go towards the Johto region or something." There were a lot of Pokémon that Daniel hadn't seen before out in far Eastern Kanto.

The pair continued traveling in silence until they arrived at the top of a hill. Looking down, they could see Pewter City in all its glory waiting for them.

"My friend said he'd meet me at the Pokémon Center, so we should go there," said Maddie.

Finding the Center was easy enough, especially with the lack of traffic around. It stood out too, which was a bonus for the weary travelers. But when they walked into the orange-roofed building, a woman who looked almost entirely like the nurse in Viridian was standing behind the desk. Daniel pushed the thought aside, thinking that it would be rude to ask. A voice jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Maddie! You made it!" Daniel turned towards the voice and saw a guy waving enthusiastically. He had wavy blonde hair and bright green eyes. Breaking out into a grin, Maddie motioned for Daniel to follow her.

"Chris! It's good to see you!" The stranger, now named Chris, turned to look at Daniel.

"So Maddie, who's this?"

"This is Daniel. We traveled through Viridian Forest together." Daniel reached out to shake Chris's hand.

After exchanging pleasantries, the trio decided to have lunch before going to the Gym. They had found a cheap café on some side street. While they were eating, Chris asked,

"So Daniel, where do you come from?" The novice Trainer swallowed his mouthful of hamburger and replied,

"I'm from Pallet. It's a small town that way," he said, pointing in the direction he'd come from. Chris nodded.

"I've been to Pallet before. It's pretty quiet there. Nice place though."

"It's okay I guess." Truthfully, it was more than likely that Daniel would have to pass through Pallet Town at some stage of his journey, and he wasn't looking forward to it. He had mixed feelings about Pallet. On one hand, it was where he grew up. His earliest memories were of Pallet. But on the other hand, deep down he still felt a lot of guilt about leaving so suddenly. Guilt that he admitted to no one, not even himself.

He must have been frowning or something, because Maddie asked,

"Hey Daniel, are you alright? You know, you'll do fine at the Gym later on, don't worry." Daniel looked up and saw both Maddie and Chris looking at him, frowning slightly. She knew he was distressed, but she was completely wrong about why.

"Yeah guys, I'm alright. I'll be fine." But he wasn't...

"Well, we're here. This is the Pewter Gym, in all its rocky glory," Maddie announced.

"You sure it's not in its steely glory?" Chris replied. Maddie rolled her eyes and Daniel scoffed. Maddie was a good navigator, far better than Daniel. Or even Chris it seemed. The older teenager had tried to take them to the Gym, only for them to find themselves at a Gym with the slogan_ 'Pumping Iron to make YOU as hard as STEEL!' _

"Well this Gym doesn't use Steel types, it uses Rock types. You should stick to Squirtle." Maddie suggested.

"Yeah, good idea," replied Daniel. He was confident in his Pokémon, especially after winning that Battle in Viridian Forest.

"Well let's not dilly dally outside. We'd better go in." Chris said, all traces of humor gone from his face. The breeder was interested in how Daniel would battle this Gym Leader. During lunch, Chris had learned that Daniel had already had experience in Battling before, having won a hard Battle in Viridian Forest. But this was no ordinary casual Battle.

It was dark inside the Gym. The only visible light came from underneath the doors, and even that failed to illuminate more than three meters into the room. The only sound that could be heard was when Daniel called out,

"Hello? Anyone here?" His voice echoed around the dark room. "I'd like to challenge this Gym!" he continued. Suddenly, blinding overhead lights came on, washing away the darkness with blinding white light.

Once the trio's eyes had focused, they looked around the Gym. In the center was a large battlefield, covered in huge boulders. There were also stairs to the right of the field that led up towards overhead bleachers. But the one thing that stood out the most was the tall man standing at the opposite side of the field. Upon closer inspection, Daniel could make out his facial features. He had very thin slanted eyes and spiky brown hair. Daniel let out a determined breath and stepped into position. Only then did the Gym Leader speak.

"Welcome to the Pewter Gym, the hub for Rock type Pokémon in the Kanto region. My name is Forrest, the Gym Leader. What's your name?"

"My name's Daniel and I challenge your Gym!" Daniel said, confident. Forrest nodded.

"Very well, I accept your challenge. It will be a two on two Battle." Forrest then walked over to a button on the far wall and pushed it. Moments later, a man walked out and stood at the referee box that was marked out on the field. He raised his hands and said,

"This will be a two-on-two Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Forrest and the challenger, Daniel. Only the challenger may substitute. The Leader will send in his Pokémon first. Are both Trainers ready?"

Daniel's heart began to beat faster than before. Nodding to the referee to confirm that he was ready, he pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, and his opponent did the same.

"Go Geodude!" Forrest yelled as he lobbed his Poké Ball into the air. With a flash of light, a Pokémon resembling a rock appeared on the battlefield. Daniel pulled his Pokédex from his pocket and pointed it at the Pokémon. With a sharp _beep, _the Pokédex began to explain Geodude. **Geodude is a rock Pokémon found on mountains. An impact from a Geodude can be extremely powerful. Approach with caution. **Looking at the additional information on Geodude, Daniel could see nothing else that could potentially help him. Without hesitation, he threw the Poké Ball he was holding and Squirtle emerged, ready to battle.

"Squirtle Squirt!" _Let's go!_

Immediately after Squirtle was sent out, Forrest began the Battle.

"Geodude, Tackle attack!" With almost unnatural speed, Geodude lunged forward, dodging and weaving around the boulders on the field. But Daniel was prepared.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Nodding his head, Squirtle opened his mouth and fired the powerful jet of water at the rapidly approaching Geodude. But right before the stream of liquid hit Geodude, the speeding rock Pokémon dodged the water, wiping the smirk off Daniel's face. Time seemed to slow down as Geodude rammed into Squirtle. All Daniel could focus on was the pained cry of his Pokémon as he was sent flying into a conveniently placed boulder on the battlefield. Just looking at the vicious attack was all it took to convince any onlooker that Squirtle would be unable to battle. The referee hid his shock as he said,

"Squirtle is unable to Battle. Geodude wins!" Daniel was in shock standing in the challenger's box, his mouth open in surprise.

Up in the bleachers, Daniel wasn't the only one who was astonished. Maddie was unable to say anything and Chris was frowning immensely. It was obvious that Daniel hadn't trained his Pokémon at all, or very little if he had. Chris didn't battle much, but he did know the basics.

"Hmm," was all he could say. He was very worried for Daniel's Pokémon. He knew that a beginning Trainer was very unlikely to forfeit, so he knew that the young Trainer would send in his Pidgey next.

"Chris, Daniel should quit the Battle! He doesn't stand a chance!" Maddie told him, panic in her eyes.

"He should, but I don't know if he will…" Chris replied.

On the field, Daniel had gotten over his initial shock and was contemplating what to do. He knew that forfeiting the Battle was a very realistic option. Before he'd left Pallet, he'd been to some of Professor Oak's Pokémon lectures in his free time. The Professor specialized in the interactions between humans and Pokémon, and as such knew about battling. He had said that in extreme cases, forfeiting a Battle was the best thing to do. But was this an extreme case?

"I….I don't know what to do!"

**Next Time….**

**Daniel has finally made it to the Pewter Gym, his first obstacle on his quest. But the Leader Forrest was much more powerful than he anticipated, leaving him between a rock and a hard place! Will Daniel pull through, or will he be defeated?**

► **To Be Continued….**

**Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this episode. Again, sorry for the delay, as I've recently started Year 9 and have had a lot of work to do. I'll be sure to try harder to keep updating once a week though, so hopefully this is a one-off. Be sure to tell me what you thought of this chapter in the review section, and once again I'd just like to remind everyone that I am still looking for a Beta reader. Have a nice day!**


	6. Trouble in the Pewter Gym!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**Hello all! I'm back and as promised, I present a new chapter! Again, I'd like to apologize for the wait last time. Also, there is a swear word in the chapter, but it is more humorous then insulting. I've put an asterisk next to the word, so if you don't want to read it, it'll be easy to avoid. And also, I now have a Beta reader! Shout out to Wonder42! Now that we got that out of the way, let's get started!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**Trouble in the Pewter Gym!**

**...**

**Last time….**

**Daniel and his friends went to the Pewter Gym so that Daniel could earn a Boulder Badge. But the Battle turned out to be far too difficult for Daniel to handle! Now he's faced with a tough decision; should he forfeit, or continue the battle in the face of certain defeat?**

"I…. I don't know what to do!"

Those words echoed off the walls, seemingly for hours. But in reality, the sound of Daniel's voice lingered for only a few seconds. But for the young Trainer, reality didn't exist at the moment. All of his focus was directed on his next move. Should he quit the battle and miss out on his opportunity to earn this Badge? Or should he continue and risk badly injuring his other Pokémon in a hopeless contest? Suddenly, the opposing Gym Leader's voice yanked him from his thoughts.

"Listen to me, Daniel. As a Trainer, it is your responsibility to put your Pokémon first, and I'm sure that you are aware of that. Take my advice and end this battle. It can only get worse from here."

Daniel looked at Forrest. He had a very serious expression on his face. Daniel knew Forrest was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He really did have no chance of winning this time.

"I…. quit the battle," he mumbled. Forrest nodded and returned his Geodude, thanking it for its hard work.

"I suggest you get your Squirtle back to the Pokémon Center right away. Nurse Joy will be able to help it," said Forrest from across the Gym.

The next few minutes were a blur. Daniel, Maddie and Chris had run the entire way to the Center, without stopping. They burst through the doors, nearly running into a Trainer who was standing in the lobby. They ran to the front desk, using it to stop. Daniel urgently pressed the buzzer, and not a moment later, the familiar nurse with pink hair exited the door behind the desk.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center. Would you like us to check up your Pokémon?"

"Nurse Joy, please help my Squirtle! He was injured badly at the Gym!" Daniel practically shouted, almost shoving Squirtle's Poké Ball in her face. The nurse furrowed her brow, the smile disappearing from her face.

"Alright, I'll take him to the ER right away. Please wait in the lobby." Daniel nodded. Then Nurse Joy turned and exited through the door she came through.

Daniel sighed in relief. Squirtle would be just fine. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw it was Maddie. She didn't say anything, only gave him a sad smile. Daniel did his best to smile back, but he found that he couldn't. Glancing over at Chris, he saw the older boy with his chin resting in his hand, looking thoughtful. He must have noticed Daniel looking at him, because he said,

"Tell me something Daniel. Have you ever _trained _with your Pokémon?" Daniel wasn't sure quite what he meant.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Chris frowned.

"Then I think I know your problem. You haven't given your Pokémon any way to get stronger! How do you expect to win battles if you can't train your Pokémon _to _battle?" Daniel looked down. Chris was right, of course, he hadn't trained with his Pokémon. The thought didn't really cross his mind.

"I never really thought about it to be honest," he told Chris. The older breeder nodded.

"I can teach you about training. Give it a few days, and you'll be ready to face the Gym again. We could go out of the city and train in the wilderness tomorrow if you want."

"It sounds like a good idea, Chris. We could all get something out of it. I haven't trained my little Meowth to battle very much either." Maddie added. Daniel nodded.

"Maddie's right, it's a good idea. Yeah, we can go out once Squirtle's recovered." The trio nodded.

**oOo**

The day after the failed Gym battle, at about three in the afternoon, the phone in their room rang. It was Nurse Joy, ringing to inform Daniel that his Squirtle was out of intensive care and was now resting. Maddie had been the once to answer the phone and had called for the two boys, who were watching a documentary on the history of the Kanto region and its ancient wars with the neighboring country to the north, Rota. Together, the trio made their way down to the lobby, where Nurse Joy and Squirtle were waiting for them.

Upon seeing Squirtle sitting on a stretcher, Daniel grinned. "Squirtle! Oh man, I'm glad you're alright," he said, holding out his arms for Squirtle to jump into. The blue water Pokémon leaped into his Trainer's arms and settled on Daniel's shoulder. Daniel turned to the Nurse.

"Thanks so much, Nurse Joy." The pink haired nurse nodded and smiled.

"My pleasure. Make sure to be careful out there!" With that, she turned and walked back into the room behind the front desk.

"Good to see you feeling better, Squirtle!" Maddie said while rubbing the blue turtle on his head. Squirtle jumped from Daniel's shoulder onto Maddie, who proceeded to coo at him. Rolling his eyes, Daniel rolled his eyes and walked over to Chris, who had a smile on his face.

"Jeez, anyone would think Squirtle was her Pokémon," he mumbled. Chris could only laugh.

A few minutes later, the trio returned to their room. Since all their Pokémon were small, they released them and allowed them to frolic around. Both Chris and Maddie only had one Pokémon each, a Ditto and a Meowth respectively. While sitting on the couch, Daniel became curious of the Ditto and how Chris acquired him.

"Hey Chris, where did you catch Ditto? I've never even seen one before," asked Daniel, scanning the Pokémon with his Pokédex. The Pokédex's screen flashed to life and it began explaining information on Ditto.

**Ditto is a Pokémon capable of copying a targets genetic code to instantly transform into a copy of the target. Approach with extreme caution as this Pokémon is difficult to capture. **

Looking at additional information, Daniel learned that Ditto was most common around the Silver mountain ranges and even as far east as Indigo Plateau. Daniel looked up at Chris, a quizzical look on his face.

"Your Pokédex is right," began Chris."I did catch Ditto around there. I was on a school camp in New Bark Town. That's in the Johto region. Anyways, we were on a hike towards the Tohjo falls, the sort of unofficial border between Kanto and Johto when I found Ditto and managed to capture him."

Daniel was impressed. He'd never left Kanto before, and hearing about far off places got him interested in the neighboring region.

For the rest of the night, the trio entertained themselves with the TV, flicking between the various channels available. Back in Pallet, there were only fifteen channels or so, but since Pokémon Centers had cable provided by the Pokémon League, there was hundreds to watch. Unfortunately, the various channels all had literally nothing but old shows from when Daniel's parents were kids, or just showed plain garbage.

**oOo**

Eventually, they must have all fallen asleep on the couch, because Daniel awoke the next morning leaning up against the tall form of Chris. His eyes widened considerably and he let out a startled yelp, trying to push himself away from the slumbering teenager, only to find himself flying over the armrest of the couch and onto the carpeted floor with a loud **_thud._**

The noise snapped Chris awake. He turned his head, a bit painfully, to look at Daniel, still sprawled on the floor, groaning.

"Daniel? What're you doing on the ground?" he asked groggily.

"Ugh, trust me, you don't wanna know…" Chris raised his eyebrows but dropped the subject. Suddenly remembering that there was a third person on the couch, both Daniel and Chris looked at Maddie, who was snoring soundly.

"How could she still be asleep?" Daniel asked rhetorically. Chris simply shrugged, then leapt off the couch and ran out of the room.

"Shower's mine!" he called from down the corridor. Daniel growled. That little *shit*****, thinking he could steal the shower before him! Leaping up off the ground, he gave chase to his escaping target.

"Chris!" he yelled, still running after the older boy. On the way, he nearly ran into Pidgey, who was sitting on a pot plant conveniently located in the middle of the hallway. Because he couldn't slow down, Daniel took the biggest leap he had ever taken in his entire life. He soared over the pot plant and over his Pidgey, who let out an astonished squawk. Time slowed down, and it seemed like Daniel was floating in midair. Maybe he should take up a career in high jump instead of Pokémon Training.

Then time sped up again and he safely landed on the ground, having cleared the sixty centimeter tall pot plant. But by the time he arrived at the bathroom door, it was closed. Wisps of steam seeped out from under the barrier separating him from the shower.

Daniel banged his fist against the door, frustrated. He decided to return to the lounge room. When he arrived, this time skillfully stepping around the hurdle in the corridor, he found Maddie, only now beginning to awaken.

"Morning Daniel," she said, smiling. She was a morning person, unlike the other two parts of their group. Daniel returned the greeting and settled on the couch. He flicked on the TV and the morning news came on. The day was predicted to be sunny and twenty-seven degrees around midday. Seeing nothing else of interest, Daniel and Maddie waited on the couch until Chris emerged from his shower.

**oOo**

Once all the Trainers had gotten ready, they went downstairs to the restaurant for breakfast. There was a rather long line, much to the trio's dismay. After seemingly hours of waiting, they finally managed to get their breakfast and settle at a table. They had dropped their Pokémon off with Nurse Joy, who had taken them to a playroom.

While they were eating, Chris asked, "So, Daniel, where were you planning on us going to train today?" Daniel swallowed his mouthful of food.

"Er, I'm not sure. Maybe we could go back out to Route 2?" He turned to Maddie.

"Why're you guys looking at me?" she asked, perplexed.

"Well, you're a good navigator, better than both of us. We don't wanna end up in the Hoenn region or something." Chris told her. Maddie rolled her eyes.

"Well, unless you can walk on water, you won't end up there. We'll look at the map after breakfast."

Daniel, Maddie and Chris returned to their room after breakfast and retrieved the street directory. Finding the map of Pewter City, they got to work.

"Look here," Maddie said, pointing to the east of Pewter. "We could go that way. It's basically grasslands for miles. That's a good place to practice some moves right?" She asked Chris. She may be good at following maps, but Chris was the expert at Pokémon Training. Chris nodded.

"Well, let's get going," said Daniel. He was looking forward to training with his Pokémon so he could get his first Badge.

The trio went downstairs and collected their Pokémon from Nurse Joy and set off towards the east. While they were walking, Chris asked, "So, Daniel, where're we going next?" Daniel was confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"What town are we going to next?" Chris repeated.

"Weren't you guys gonna go somewhere else after I get this Badge?" Now Chris was confused. He looked at Maddie.

"I didn't know we were splitting up. Why would we want to do that?" Maddie shrugged.

"Hey, wait. Don't you guys have like an assignment from your school to do?" Daniel asked the older teens. Chris nodded.

"That's right. We have to capture and raise a team of Pokémon. But why does that matter?" Daniel liked Chris and Maddie, but he knew it was selfish to expect them to stick around with him when they had stuff to do.

"I'm gonna be traveling all over Kanto collecting Badges. How're you gonna find the time to come with me and also catch your own Pokémon to train? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have you guys come along, but I'd just get in the way." Chris laughed.

"That's no reason to split up, though! Sure it could be difficult, but it'd be fun too! Come on guys, whataya say?"

Chris was like a con-man. He was very persuasive, and he'd managed to put his argument in a way that Daniel really couldn't refuse. Now the option of traveling without them paled in comparison to having friends along the way.

"Well now that you put it that way, I really can't refuse. I'm up for it!" Daniel told them smiling. Maddie was also nodding her head.

"You took the words right out of my mouth. I'm perfectly fine with it," she added. They continued in silence until they arrived at the edge of the city.

"Well, we're here," said Maddie, breaking the silence. Chris was nodding to himself. He liked the looks of this training spot.

"Yeah, this does look like a great place to train. Alright Daniel, release your Pokémon." Daniel nodded and threw his two Poké Balls. The familiar sound of energy being transformed into matter was made as both Pidgey and Squirtle appeared in a flash of white light. Daniel bent down to their level.

"Alright guys, we're gonna be doing some training today. It'll help us get stronger so we can beat Forrest, ok?"

Pidgey and Squirtle nodded, determined looks on their faces. They wanted to impress their Trainer. Unbeknownst to Daniel, Chris had moved into position to battle. Suddenly, he called out his Ditto and ordered it to use Transform. With a flash, Ditto took on the appearance of Squirtle.

"Ok Daniel! First let's have a battle with Squirtle!" Chris called. Daniel looked up.

"Alright. Squirtle, you ready?" the young Trainer asked his Pokémon.

The blue Pokémon nodded. "Squirt!" _Ready!_

Daniel moved to position, his heart beginning to pick up speed. Without wasting time, Chris called, "Ditto, Water Gun attack!"

And the battle was on…

**oOo**

**Next time…**.

**Daniel has begun training his Pokémon to prepare for his rematch at Pewter Gym! His new friend, Chris, has promised to help our aspiring Trainer become strong enough to stand a chance against his rocky foe. Will Daniel succeed in becoming good enough to win his first Badge? The answers to come, next time!**

► **To Be Continued….**

**...**

**Hello everyone! I'm back for episode 6! I'm sorry for the lack of action in this chapter, but it was necessary in order to establish that Maddie and Chris would be permanent characters in the story and also that Daniel would begin regularly training as well. Again, thanks to my new Beta reader Wonder42 for your help on this chapter! Until next time, have a great day!**


	7. Training to the Max!

**The Road to the Pokémon League **

**Hello guys! I'm back with chapter 7! Once again I'd like to thank anyone who reviewed, and also my wonderful Beta reader, Wonder42! Also, I've noticed that there aren't spaces paragraphs in the actual story, which might be off-putting to some readers. I'll be sure to go back and fix that up at some stage. But rest assured that from now on I will make sure to have the appropriate spacing between paragraphs. Now that that's out of the way, let's get started!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**Training to the Max!**

…

**Last time….**

**Our friends decided to journey out into the wilderness to train their Pokémon so that Daniel has a chance of beating the Gym Leader Forrest. Now Daniel is engaged in a mock battle with Chris! Will our young Trainer succeed in his efforts?**

**oOo**

"Ditto, Water Gun attack!" A large stream of water, far larger than any Squirtle had ever used, blasted towards Squirtle. It hit Squirtle and knocked him on his shell.

"Do you see how powerful Water Gun can be if you train with it?" Chris called from across the field. Daniel nodded.

"Get Squirtle to use his Water Gun back at me!" Daniel nodded.

"Squirtle, Water-"

"Stop!" Chris called again from his side. He walked over to Daniel. When the young Trainer looked at him questionably, he began to explain.

"I can see the problem. Squirtle's been launching the attack wrong." He then bent down to Squirtle's level. "You need to stand up straight and puff out your chest in order to use water attacks. Otherwise they'll be weaker than what they could be." Squirtle nodded.

"Squirt." _Okay._

Chris then stood up and walked over to a nearby tree, the only one in sight.

"You should practice using Water Gun on this tree. Ditto and I will help you. Meanwhile," he said, turning to where Daniel was standing and looking over to where Maddie was sitting on their picnic rug, "Maddie and Daniel can have a battle with Pidgey and Meowth."

"Okay, Pidgey, you ready?" Daniel asked his Flying Pokémon. Pidgey was a docile Pokémon, but she really wanted to improve for her Trainer. She nodded and turned to face Maddie and Meowth, who were waiting for them.

"Alright let's go! Pidgey, try a Quick Attack!" At blinding speed, Pidgey hurtled towards Meowth, slamming into the feline Pokémon. Maddie was eager to retaliate.

"Use Fury Swipes!" Meowth leapt up and began to scratch Pidgey with her sharp claws. Hearing his Pokémon cry out in pain, Daniel had to think fast.

"Pidgey, fly up high!" Pidgey flapped her wings and began to ascend, forcing Meowth to let go. Daniel thought Pidgey was safe for the moment, but Maddie had another trick up her sleeve.

"Try a Pay Day!" Daniel hadn't heard of that move before. Meowth began to hurl small objects at Pidgey. They looked like…._coins?!_ They smashed into Pidgey like little bullets, causing her to shake and plummet towards the ground.

"Pidgey, straighten up!" Daniel desperately called. He was beginning to crack under pressure like last time. But, it seemed luck was on his side because Pidgey managed to stabilize. Daniel sighed in relief.

"Well that should be enough battling for now," called Maddie from across the field. "We should eat some lunch!"

**oOo**

While the group was eating, Chris began to speak.

"Well, Squirtle's getting better at attacking. His Water Gun's getting quite strong already. Looks like battling comes naturally to him. No surprise since he is a starter Pokémon after all. How'd Pidgey do?" Maddie nodded thoughtfully. Daniel looked over to where the Pokémon were eating. It made sense that Squirtle was a good battler, since he was bred specifically to be a powerful Pokémon for a novice Trainer.

"Pidgey is really fast, that's her best strength. Speed attacks are the best option for her." Chris nodded.

"Sounds about right. What do you think, Daniel?" The novice Trainer didn't know what to say. He felt so outclassed by Maddie and Chris, and battling wasn't even what they focused on!

"Er… I dunno. I mean, I guess you're right…" Chris smiled and Maddie put a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"You have to feel confident in yourself or you'll never win. You'll get there very soon, Daniel." Maddie reassured him. Daniel smiled and thanked her. Even though they hadn't known each other very long, they had already become good friends.

**oOo**

After lunch, the group decided to focus on agility. They had all seen the speed that Forrest's Geodude possessed, and a solution had to be thought of fast in order to overcome it. Daniel had suggested working on defensive strategies and both Maddie and Chris agreed. However, they also thought that speed was important too, especially in Pidgey's case. While using his Pokédex to look through possible moves, Daniel found that Pidgey could use a move called 'Steel Wing'. When he brought it up to Chris, the breeder grinned, calling Daniel a genius.

"Of course! Steel type moves are super effective against Rock types! Daniel, you're a genius!" Daniel smiled, glad he had the foresight to look at possible attacks for Pidgey.

"But there's one problem," began Chris. "I have no idea how to teach a Steel type move to a Pokémon."

"Damn," was all Daniel could say. Chris chuckled.

"Well I don't know everything. I'm still learning, too." Chris said, amused. But then he had an idea.

"But, I know Meowth can use Iron Tail, and that's a Steel type move. Maybe Maddie knows how to teach it." Daniel agreed and they went to ask Maddie, who was working on speed with Meowth and Squirtle.

"Hey, Maddie!" called Chris. She turned around and walked over to them.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I was looking through my Pokédex and saw that Pidgey can learn Steel Wing." Maddie looked intrigued, so Daniel continued.

"Well since your Meowth knows Iron Tail, I thought you might be able to teach Pidgey Steel Wing since they're both Steel type moves." Maddie nodded.

"Great thinking! I'll do my best to help, but Meowth was born with the move. But, I do sort of know what actually has to_ be_ done to pull off the move, so I guess it'll be similar. Besides, Squirtle needs a nap," she said, smiling at the tired turtle Pokémon. Daniel looked over at his starter. He was panting and sweating hard. He'd been running in order to build his speed and agility. Daniel walked over to Squirtle and picked him up. It occurred to him that he never showed any real affection to his Pokémon, and that was something he wanted to change, especially since they were working so hard for _him. _

"Great job, buddy!" Daniel told Squirtle, spinning him around with a large grin on his face.

"Squirtle, Squirt!" _Thanks! _While Daniel couldn't fully understand Squirtle yet, he could comprehend his basic meanings.

"How about you take a break? It's time for Pidgey to start training too, and we wanna be there to cheer her on right?" Daniel asked Squirtle. Squirtle nodded his head and together, Trainer and Pokémon walked over to where Chris was talking to Pidgey.

"Hey, Chris, we're ready to start now," said Daniel as he walked up to him, Maddie close behind. Chris nodded.

"I think you should handle this training yourself, Daniel." Daniel nodded. It was time to test how he could handle training Pokémon.

"I'll tell you what to focus on and then you can take it from here." Daniel nodded again, so she continued, "You need to focus on developing the strength in Pidgey's wings. When you use Steel Wing, all of your Pokémon's energy is channeled into Pidgey's wings. Practice developing the muscles in her wings and you should be able to use it."

"Alright, I'll give it a shot," replied Daniel. He wondered how he could develop Pidgey's wings without simply making her fly fast, so he got to work. Together, Daniel and his two Pokémon walked away from their picnic rug and over to another spot by themselves.

**oOo**

"Alright guys, how're we gonna do this?" Daniel asked his two Pokémon. Squirtle waved his tiny arms frantically.

"Squirt! Squirtle Squirt!" _Try flying really fast! _

Daniel raised his eyebrows. He didn't quite understand what Squirtle was trying to say.

"How 'bout you Pidgey?" Pidgey took off and flew at the nearby tree and swooped its trunk, causing it to shake. Daniel nodded in understanding

"You think hitting things with your wings will do it?" He asked. Pidgey landed on his shoulder and nodded. Daniel smiled.

"It'd help with your speed too. Good idea, Pidgey, let's do it!" And so they began, Pidgey slamming into the tree with Daniel and Squirtle encouraging her.

**oOo**

Over at the picnic site, Chris and Maddie were relaxing.

"Look at 'em go! I'm glad we could point him in the right direction," remarked Chris, smiling. Maddie also had a smile on her face.

"Yeah, it feels good. You know, when I watched him battle in Viridian Forest, he fell into a sort of rhythm. But, I haven't seen him get into it since then." Chris nodded.

"A lot of people raised around Pokémon have it. Especially someone who grew up in a Pokémon-centric environment like Pallet Town," he replied.

"You're right, but he doesn't seem to like Pallet Town that much," said Maddie sadly.

"He's certainly brave to leave like that. I mean, technically he _is _ten, but still. I definitely wouldn't be brave enough to do something like that."

"Me neither… I can't imagine what it must be like, not being able to just go home whenever you want." Maddie whispered. Chris turned and looked into her eyes.

"Imagine what his parents must be going through. They must be worried sick. He hasn't even called them."

"I'm sure he cares. I mean, I've seen that he does. It just must be complicated right now for him. He'll tell us everything when he's ready," replied Maddie. She trusted her friend to do the right thing. Chris rubbed his temples thoughtfully.

"I hope so…"

**oOo**

Training was going well. Pidgey was still going one hundred percent at the tree and didn't look like she was stopping soon. Daniel had looked up what Steel Wing looked like in his ever-useful Pokédex. It had shown a picture of a Pidgeot with glowing wings. So, Daniel knew that was what he wanted.

Daniel and Squirtle continued to yell encouragement to Pidgey for the next few minutes, until the young Trainer had an idea. Bending down to Squirtle's level, he said, "Squirtle, use Water Gun at Pidgey when I say, alright?" Squirtle nodded and prepared to fire. Then, Daniel called up to Pidgey.

"Pidgey! Squirtle's gonna use Water Gun at you! You think you can avoid it?" Pidgey let out an affirmative coo, so Daniel got Squirtle to commence firing Water Guns at Pidgey. The bird was hit a few times, but never faltered in mid-air. Finally, the moment came when Pidgey's wings took on a bright silver sheen and she slammed into the tree again, making a rather long gash on the tree trunk. Daniel broke out into a large grin.

"Yeah! Great job, Pidgey!" Pidgey landed on Daniel's shoulder, and Squirtle jumped onto his other. Elated, they ran over to the picnic rug where Chris and Maddie were watching.

"I did it guys!" Daniel told them, grinning like a child on Christmas morning.

"Great job, Daniel, I knew you could do it," congratulated Chris.

"Yeah, well done!" Maddie chimed in. "And let's not forget these two!" Both Pidgey and Squirtle leapt off of Daniel and onto Maddie. Daniel thought they were both suck-ups, but he was proud of them nonetheless.

**oOo**

Later that night, the trio had returned to their room ready for a day of rest tomorrow and to challenge the Gym the day after. While they were sitting on the couch, Chris asked Daniel something.

"So, Daniel, what exactly is the deal with you and your parents?" Daniel sighed. He was traveling with Chris and Maddie, so they deserved to know.

"Well, it's a long story, so I'll start at the beginning. My parents, especially my mom, are a bit unreasonable. They expect me to get literally perfect grades at school, and they're pretty controlling too. I'm talking no sleepovers, hanging out, nothing like that. You know I turned ten right at the end of last year. And you know what I asked for? A Pokémon Trainer's license…

**oOo**

"_So, Daniel, what would you like for your birthday?" asked Daniel's mother. _

"_Mom, I'd like to be a Pokémon Trainer! I could get all the Badges and win the Pokémon League!" Daniel's mom's face paled. _

"_Anything but that, Daniel. You should focus on school work because that's what will get you anywhere in life, not by raising Pokémon." Daniel frowned._

"_But everyone else is getting licenses, so why can't I? Pallet Town tradition says so!" _

_Mom scoffed._

"_You aren't even from Pallet Town. Forget about being a Trainer. You won't get anywhere by being one. And I don't want to hear anymore about it." Mom stormed off, leaving Daniel alone on the couch, flabbergasted. _

**oOo**

"That's what she said. I was pretty ashamed to be honest. She told me I wasn't from Pallet… but just because I wasn't born there doesn't mean I'm not from there!" Chris nodded. It was just as he thought. Daniel's mother did have a valid point, but she didn't have to do that.

"I mean, no one breaks Pallet tradition no matter what! And leaving home with a Pokémon is _expected_ of you. You can't just _not _leave or else no one would respect you anymore," explained Daniel.

"Well, that's in the past now. We're here for you now, Daniel." Chris heard Maddie say, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"She's right, Daniel. We'll stick together," he added. The young Trainer smiled in appreciation. It was nice to have good friends…

**oOo**

**Next time….**

**Daniel returns to the Pewter Gym hungry for a Boulder Badge! Himand his friends have worked hard training for this moment, and he isn't about to lose. Can Daniel earn the Badge and pass the first hurdle on The Road to the Pokémon League? For the answers, stay tuned!**

►** To Be Continued….**

…

**Hey everyone! I'm back with chapter 7! I know there was a lack of important action, but there was some of Daniel's backstory revealed. Once again, thanks to my wonderful Beta reader, Wonder42! See ya next episode!**


	8. Rematch at the Pewter Gym!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**What's up everyone? I'm back****_ early_**** for episode 8, thanks to my Beta reader, Wonder42! I'd like to thank anyone who's reviewed so far, and if you haven't and would like to suggest something or leave some constructive criticism, feel free to drop a review down below and let me know if you're enjoying it so far! Also, I'd like to say that you should expect a chapter per week if everything goes well. I'm off school for a while so it should be consistent for the time being anyway. Without further ado, I present episode 8! Roll the theme!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**Rematch at the Pewter Gym!**

…

**Last time….**

**Our friends were out training in the wilderness in preparation for Daniel's rematch against Forrest, the Pewter City Gym Leader. Now, it's time to see if that training has paid off! **

**oOo**

The morning sun invaded Daniel, Maddie and Chris's room like an unwanted pest. The orange light pierced the darkness that closed eyes provided, waking up the room's occupants. In perfect harmony, the three Trainers groaned. Chris decided to add a little humor to the situation.

"Well, that sure woke us up, huh?" He cracked a grin at his own joke. However, Chris's sense of 'humor' was very circumstantial, and right now, the circumstances weren't ideal for a joke.

"Urgh, very funny." Maddie mumbled. Daniel could only roll his eyes. Chris could go from being all happy and cheery to deadly serious and then back again in the span of about five minutes. Then, he leapt out of his bed and sprinted down the hall, gleefully proclaiming that the shower was his.

Not even bothering to raise his head, Daniel mumbled to Maddie, "How the heck does he do that?"

Maddie didn't even bother to answer.

**oOo**

Breakfast was slow. Yet again, there was a long line between them and the buffet. The three Trainers lined up and prayed the scrambled egg wasn't cold this time. Once they finally got breakfast, they settled at a vacant table near the entrance of the Pokémon Center's restaurant. A TV sitting on the wall was showing the news.

Apparently, the official number of new Trainers this year was at a new high, with over forty thousand worldwide. The news said Pokémon Training hadn't been that popular since around 1999. Daniel was intrigued as to why more people were choosing to become Trainers all of a sudden. Chris and Maddie were paying attention too, because Chris said, "That's interesting. Being a Trainer sort of became less popular around 2004. I'm glad it's rising again though." Maddie nodded.

"My older cousin thinks Pokémon Training is the best thing in the world, but my younger cousin hates it!" She said.

"Well, in Pallet Town, it's always been popular," replied Daniel. "Must be because things change slowly there. News always did get there slower until Internet was made public when I was six," he continued.

"You didn't have Internet? I didn't know that," said Chris. Daniel nodded.

"Yeah, crazy right? Only place we could go before that was to use the computer at Professor Oak's place."

"Wow," Maddie said. "We're lucky to live in Saffron, huh Chris?" Chris laughed.

"Yeah, we are. Really opens your eyes to hear about that kind of stuff, doesn't it?"

**oOo**

After finishing breakfast, the trio headed towards the Gym. The weather was actually quite cold that morning, a welcome break from the heat of summer. Along the way, Maddie and Chris never hesitated to give advice or offer good luck. Once they arrived, they entered the Gym. But this time, it was already lit. Forrest was standing near the entrance talking to someone who looked strikingly similar. The trio decided to be polite and wait near the door. After a few minutes, the man turned and walked towards the door and walked out, saying a friendly 'hello' to the three Trainers as he left. Once he was gone, they walked up to Forrest.

"Hello, glad to see you back. You'll have to forgive me for that, I was just talking to my older brother. He was dropping off one of his Pokémon." Forrest slapped his hands together. "I'm guessing that you're back for a rematch?"

"Yeah," replied Daniel nodding. "I spent yesterday working hard to challenge you again." Forrest nodded.

"Then I'm looking forward to it. Let me get a referee and then we can get started."

**oOo**

"This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle between the Gym Leader, Forrest, and the Challenger, Daniel. The battle will be over when both Pokémon on one side are unable to continue," declared the referee. "Also, only the challenger may substitute. Are both Trainers ready?" Daniel and Forrest nodded. The referee dropped his flags, beginning the match.

"Geodude, let's go!" Forrest shouted as he hurled a Poké Ball, sending out the dreaded rock Pokémon. But this time, Daniel had a plan. He produced a Poké Ball of his own.

"Go Pidgey!" The Poké Ball opened and Pidgey appeared. Without wasting time, Forrest begun the battle the same way as before.

"Tackle attack Geodude!" With incredible speed, Geodude took off, hurtling towards Pidgey. Well at least, Daniel _used_ to think it was incredible. Now that he had trained one of his Pokémon to move fast, Geodude almost seemed slow.

"Pidgey, up into the air!" Pidgey nodded and flew upwards. Geodude passed under her harmlessly. Forrest was impressed by Pidgey's speed. He knew that Daniel must have been training hard. But then Daniel ordered something surprising.

"Now Pidgey, use Steel Wing!" Pidgey swooped down, her wings glowing a shiny silver. With astonishing speed and accuracy, she slammed her outstretched wings into Geodude, causing great damage as she did so. Forrest was very impressed. It wasn't often he ran into a Pidgey with Steel Wing. But he had some tricks of his own.

"Geodude, Rock Throw!" He commanded. Geodude shrugged off its pain and picked up the nearest rock. With a mighty heave, it threw it at the brown bird Pokémon, hitting her in the breast. Pidgey let out a sharp cry, but otherwise managed to stay in flight. Daniel decided to try a long distance attack.

"Don't give up, Pidgey, use Gust!" Pidgey flapped her wings hard, sending a tornado-like swirl of wind at Geodude. Even though it was a direct hit, it didn't do much damage to Geodude.

"Damn it," growled Daniel under his breath. Then, he had an idea. Praying to Arceus that it would work, he put his plan into motion.

"Pidgey, give it a Sand Attack!" Pidgey swooped low to the ground and used her wings to create a large sand cloud on the field.

**oOo**

Forrest was intrigued. What was Daniel planning? He decided to be cautious and wait to see what the young Trainer would do. Even though he wasn't using his strongest Pokémon or even battling as hard as he could, Forrest was impressed at the self control Daniel was showing.

"Now, Pidgey, use Steel Wing!" Daniel commanded. Pidgey swooped into the sand cloud and slammed into Geodude with Steel Wing. That was all it took, because when the sand cleared, Geodude was out cold. A grin slowly broke out on Daniel's face.

"Geodude is unable to battle! Pidgey is the winner!" The referee declared.

"All right, Pidgey! Awesome job!" Daniel called from his position, pumping his fist.

"Pidgeooo!" _Thanks! _

**oOo**

Up in the stands, Maddie and Chris were having a little celebration of their own.

"That was an awesome usage of Pidgey's Ability Keen Eye!" Chris exclaimed. Maddie nodded.

"He came up with that one last night. Pretty cool huh?" Chris nodded his head.

"Keep up the good work, Daniel!" Maddie called to the Trainer. Daniel looked up at them and gave a thumbs up.

Back down on the field, Forrest returned his Geodude to its Poké Ball. He then smiled and said, "I must say, I'm quite impressed Daniel. That was a smart tactic. But this battle is far from over. Now, Sudowoodo, I choose you!" Forrest exclaimed as he threw out his final Pokémon. With a flash of white light, a Pokémon that Daniel hadn't ever seen before emerged. It had a brown log-shaped body with yellow spots. It looked a lot like a tree actually.

"What's that thing?" He rhetorically asked himself as he pulled out his Pokédex. With a beep, a picture of Sudowoodo appeared on the screen and the Pokédex began to explain it.

**Sudowoodo is a rare Pokémon of the Johto region. It hides itself to avoid capture. Approach with caution. **

Daniel almost rolled his eyes at the 'approach with caution' portion of the explanation. Just about every Pokémon he scanned had that particular warning tacked onto the end of it. Most interestingly, Sudowoodo was indeed a Rock type Pokémon, even though it looked like a tree.

"Let's end this quickly, Pidgey, use Steel Wing!" Pidgey swooped at Sudowoodo like before, with her wings glowing a shiny silver sheen. But this time, Forrest smirked.

"Sudowoodo, use Flail attack!" Sudowoodo leapt up at the approaching Pidgey and literally flailed its arms around, smashing into Pidgey and sending her crashing into the ground.

"Woah!" Daniel exclaimed. "Pidgey, are you okay?" He called to his Pokémon. She wasn't moving. Daniel held out her Poké Ball and Pidgey was sucked back in. He looked at her Poké Ball and smiled. "Your hard work won't go to waste. I promise."

**oOo**

Back in the stands, Maddie and Chris were just as surprised as Daniel was.

"That Sudowoodo is one tough attacker! I'm not sure how Daniel is gonna deal with that kind of power." Chris told Maddie. She nodded.

"Squirtle does have the advantage though. I'm sure he'll figure something out. Well, at least I hope he does."

**oOo**

"Well, it's all or nothing! Squirtle, its showtime!" Daniel exclaimed as he hurled his final Poké Ball. Squirtle emerged, ready to battle.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun!" Daniel ordered. Squirtle nodded and puffed out his chest, firing the powerful stream of water at Sudowoodo. It was a direct hit, and it forced Sudowoodo to its knees.

Forrest was impressed at the newfound power of Squirtle. The once weak torrent of water was replaced with a powerful attack. But the battle wasn't over quite yet.

"Sudowoodo, try a Hammer Arm!" The brown Pokémon charged at Squirtle with its arm raised, ready to deliver a crushing blow. But Daniel knew what to do.

"Quick! Use Withdraw!" Squirtle quickly retreated into his shell, and the Hammer Arm bounced harmlessly off the hard surface. But Forrest wasn't done yet.

"Hit the side of the shell!" He called. Sudowoodo bashed the side of Squirtle's shell, sending it rebounding off the rocks on the field like a hockey puck.

"Oh, no! Squirtle, try and stop!" Daniel desperately ordered. But it was no use. Squirtle kept flying around the battlefield, helplessly trapped in his shell. However, watching his Pokémon speeding around like a cannonball gave Daniel an idea. What if he could get Squirtle to run into Sudowoodo? It was worth a shot.

"Squirtle, try and run into Sudowoodo! Use the rocks to change direction!" Daniel called, hoping against hope that Squirtle could hear him. It seemed that he could, because the turtle managed to steer himself into the rock directly behind Sudowoodo, causing him to ricochet right into it! Sudowoodo was thrown forwards, landing face first into the ground. Daniel grinned.

"Yeah! Way to go Squirtle!" Daniel yelled.

"Squirtle Squirt!" _Oh yeah!_

"Sudowoodo, can you continue?" Forrest asked his Pokémon. Sudowoodo struggled to stand, but managed.

"Damn it," mumbled Daniel under his breath. "I thought I had it." He needed to end the battle fast or he could lose.

"Squirtle, Water Gun!" He commanded. Once again, the familiar jet of water rushed towards Sudowoodo. But this time, it didn't make contact.

"Mimic!" Forrest exclaimed. Suddenly, Sudowoodo opened its mouth and fired its own Water Gun! The two attacks collided in midair. A struggle ensued, both Pokémon pushing with all their might. Both Sudowoodo and Squirtle had taken a lot of damage, and Daniel knew that whoever won this struggle of Water Guns would win the match. An inner fire ignited in the young Trainer at that moment, and he knew he could not lose.

"Come on, Squirtle, don't give in! Water Gun with everything you got!" Daniel encouraged his Pokémon. The strength of the Water Gun seemed to double and it slowly began to push Sudowoodo's Mimic Water Gun back.

**oOo**

Across the field, Forrest was impressed. It was his job to test the skill of Trainers, be they experienced or beginners. Daniel had passed all his expectations of a Trainer of his skill level. But it was time to end this. Whether or not he would be giving out a Badge at the end of this battle was totally up to his challenger. On the other side, Daniel was still shouting encouragement. And up in the stands, his two friends were leaning over the edge of the railing also yelling. Looking up at Sudowoodo, he could see that it couldn't keep up the fake Water Gun for much longer.

"Sudowoodo, keep pushing!" He ordered his Pokémon.

The voices of Daniel, Maddie and Chris were echoing around the Gym. Squirtle felt their encouragement somehow strengthening his attack. He had to win this for Daniel. He understood how important it was for him, and he couldn't let him down. He was a young Pokémon, much like his Trainer. With a sudden burst of energy, he forced out as much water as he could, slowing pushing Sudowoodo's Water Gun back even more. Now it was almost on top of Sudowoodo! He heard Daniel's voice. The passion in it was enough to make him double his efforts again. Never before had he felt so alive! With a mighty grunt, his Water Gun attack smashed past Sudowoodo's, nailing it right in the face, sending it flying backwards, through one, two, _three _boulders on the field!

**oOo**

"Great job, Squirtle!" Daniel exclaimed at Squirtle. Then, he looked at the referee.

The ref looked at Sudowoodo and saw it lying motionless on the ground. He raised his flags and proclaimed, "Sudowoodo is unable to battle! Squirtle wins! The victor is the challenger, Daniel!" Daniel grinned and ran onto the field, scooping up Squirtle, almost crushing him in a hug.

"We did it, Squirtle! Awesome job!" Daniel exclaimed. He was in pure bliss. Then, they both heard a voice.

"Heeeey!" Called Maddie as her and Chris bounded down from the stands. They ran to Daniel and embraced him and Squirtle.

"Great job! You were awesome out there!" Chris said, smiling. Maddie nodded.

"Yeah! That was amazing!" She added. Daniel was elated by the support his friends showed. It felt really good to have them with him. He looked over to where Forrest was, and saw him approaching.

"Daniel, that was an excellent battle. It's not often I get to battle a beginner with that kind of intensity. For that reason, I'm proud to present you with this," he said, holding out his hand. In it was a silver gemstone shaped like a hexagon.

"It's the Boulder Badge, an official Pokémon League Badge that signifies your victory in the Pewter Gym. Congratulations, you've earned it." Daniel smiled and took the Badge, the weight of it in his palm felt just right. And, it was all his.

"Thanks a lot, Forrest." Daniel said. Forrest nodded and smiled.

"My pleasure. I wish you the best of luck on your journey." The group said goodbye and left, ready to depart Pewter City and continue their journey on the Road to the Pokémon League.

**oOo**

**Next time….**

**It's goodbye Pewter City, hello Mt. Moon! Daniel, Maddie, and Chris are on the road, this time traveling on Route 3, the only way to Cerulean City! What exciting mysteries are there to be uncovered near the legendary Mt. Moon? Stay tuned to find out!**

► **To Be Continued…**

…

**Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will admit, writing battles certainly doesn't come to me naturally, but I hope I did a good job at it! Daniel finally won a Gym Badge, so hurray for that! Once again, thanks to my wonderful Beta reader, Wonder42, who worked on this chapter like always! See you next time everyone!**


	9. Atop Mt Moon!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**Hi everyone! I'm back in action and have been working overdrive to get Chapter 9 done. Again, I'd like to apologize for the delay. Once again, this chapter was Beta read by the wonderful Wonder42, so be sure to check her stuff out too! Without further ado, I present episode 9!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**Atop Mt. Moon!**

…

**Last time…**

**Daniel won his very first Badge, the Boulder Badge! Now, the trio leaves Pewter City behind and tackles the legendary Mt Moon, where some say a certain kind of Pokémon landed from space…**

**oOo**

It was a beautiful day in the Northern Kanto region. The sun was shining brightly down on the trio, as if it was a reward for Daniel's success at the Pewter Gym. Daniel, Maddie, and Chris were on Route 3, heading towards Mt Moon, and ultimately, Cerulean City, home of the Cerulean Gym, and the site of Daniel's second Badge. The group was currently sitting on the side of the road, enjoying their lunch.

"So, guys, I heard about something special that was happening tonight," said Maddie. Daniel gulped down his sandwich.

"Huh? What's happening tonight?" he replied. From his spot on their picnic mat, Chris was nodding his head. Maddie smiled.

"Well, it's a surprise. But we'll have to climb to the top of Mt. Moon to see it," she told the boys.

"Well, I'm up for some mountain climbing. How 'bout you Daniel?" Chris asked. Daniel thought for a minute. He'd just earned a Badge. And, it was only mid January. A break would be fun. He nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, sounds good," answered Daniel. He was eager to find out whatever this surprise of Maddie's could be.

**oOo**

By one in the afternoon, they arrived at the foot of Mt Moon. Daniel hadn't hesitated to persistently ask what the surprise was, but so far, he'd gotten nothing. Even Chris was unsuccessful at obtaining intel.

"Well, let's take a break. We can start climbing once we've had a rest," Chris suggested. The group agreed. While they were relaxing, Maddie found something interesting in her map of the Mt. Moon Geographical Area.

"Hey, guys, look at this. It says that the Clefairy that live here came from space with a meteor called the Moon Stone." Maddie said, reading off the guidebook. Chris looked interested.

"It sounds pretty cool, but there's no way. Besides, a Moon Stone is just a rock that evolves Pokémon, not a space ship or anything," Chris said. Maddie shrugged.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Maddie replied. The group was getting ready to start climbing; Daniel was rolling up the picnic mat while Maddie and Chris waited. However, before the young Trainer could finish, a pink blur leaped out of the bushes and into their campsite.

"Woah! That must be a Clefairy!" Daniel exclaimed, throwing down the mat and whipping out his Pokédex to scan it. It beeped and the electronic voice began to speak.

**Clefairy is an extremely rare Pokémon found only in select places around the world. Because of this, many people search for them. Approach with caution.**

"Clefairy is a rare Pokémon! I'll have to catch this one, then!" Daniel declared, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt. But before he could throw it, Chris put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Daniel, you remember how I have to catch and raise Pokémon for school?" When Daniel nodded, Chris continued, "Well since Clefairy is so rare, not many people get the chance to raise one and study them and all that. So would it be okay with you if I caught it?"

"Oh, yeah, good point! Go for it," Daniel said, stepping back. He did want to catch Clefairy, but Chris had a point. It would be better if a Breeder got the chance to learn about Clefairy.

**oOo**

"Ditto, let's go!" Chris exclaimed as he hurled his Poké Ball. With a burst of light, the pink blob emerged, ready for battle. The Clefairy shrieked and began to flee, but Chris wouldn't have any of it.

"Ditto, Transform! Don't let it escape!" Chris ordered. Ditto complied and leapt in front of the fleeing Clefairy, cutting off its escape. Then, it used Transform, turning into a perfect copy of Clefairy.

"Now, Ditto, smash it!" Chris yelled. The Clefairy look-alike began to pummel the real one. Daniel understood why Chris hadn't ordered Ditto to use an actual move yet. Until the Clefairy decided to attack, Chris didn't know what new moves Ditto would be able to use.

"Keep going, Ditto!" Chris encouraged his Pokémon. Chris knew that simply having Ditto punch the Clefairy wasn't really the most refined way to battle, but it could be enough to capture it.

Suddenly, Clefairy began to wiggle its index finger. Chris was confused. What was it doing? Then, an electric shock wave flew out of Clefairy's body and zapped Ditto.

"An Electric type attack?" Chris asked himself. He didn't know Clefairy could use a move like that. He might as well make the most of it.

"Ditto, use that Electric attack!" Chris ordered. Ditto shook his head.

"What…?" Chris mumbled to himself, surprised as to why Ditto couldn't attack.

**oOo**

On the sidelines, Daniel was also confused. He decided to ask Maddie about the attack.

"Maddie," he began. She took her attention off the battle and turned to him. "why wouldn't Ditto attack?" She shook her head.

"I've got no idea. Chris had better come up with a new idea fast, or Clefairy might escape." then, Maddie had an idea.

"What if Clefairy isn't actually using an Electric attack?" She told Daniel. The young Trainer raised his eyebrows.

"What do you mean isn't using an Electric attack? It is!" He replied. Maddie shook her head.

"Hear me out. Remember how Clefairy wiggled its hand? Maybe that's how it used that attack. Look it up in your Pokédex." Daniel complied and got an interesting result. He began to tell Maddie about what he found.

"It says that there is an attack called Metronome that Clefairy can use. It wags its finger and a random move gets used. That must be what it's doing." Maddie nodded.

"Yeah that's it! Chris!" She yelled, getting his attention. He had been getting Ditto to punch Clefairy, with little results. Chris turned to her.

"Clefairy was using an attack called Metronome! That's how it used the Electric attack!" Chris nodded and grinned. Now he could turn this battle around.

"Ditto, use Metronome!" This time, the Ditto-Clefairy wiggled his finger. However, instead of an electric attack, he opened his mouth and blew a star-shaped flaming burst of fire at Clefairy.

"Woah, Ditto used Fire Blast!" Chris exclaimed.

Fire Blast was one of the most powerful Fire attacks, and the group was amazed to see it in person. It certainly lived up to their expectations too, as it collided with Clefairy and sent it flying backwards. With a thud, it landed in the dirt, knocked out. Seeing his chance, Chris pulled out one of the empty Poké Balls on his belt and threw it at Clefairy. As the Poké Ball left his hand, a person burst out from the bushes.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, but it was too late. The Poké Ball hit Clefairy and sucked it in. It began to wobble and with a _ping_, and it stopped shaking, signifying that Clefairy was captured.

"What have you done?!" The girl screeched. Daniel and Maddie walked up to Chris, large grins on their faces. Ignoring the stranger, they began to congratulate him.

"Awesome job, Chris!" Daniel said. Chris's capture of Clefairy impressed him. Maddie was also smiling.

"Yeah, that was great to watch!" she said, patting his shoulder. Chris smiled back.

"Thanks guys," he replied as he walked over to the Poké Ball that contained his new Pokémon. But, before he could pick it up, it was swiped off the ground by the strange girl who had been yelling at him before. This time, he acknowledged her.

"Hey! Give that back!" Chris demanded at her. The girl hesitated. Then, she shook her head. But Chris wasn't having any of it.

"I'll ring the cops if you don't give that Poké Ball to me," he threatened. The girl's eyes widened.

"I've been chasing that Clefairy for hours, and then you show up and catch it! It's rightfully mine!" she protested.

By then, Maddie and Daniel had come to back up Chris. Chris looked over his shoulder at Maddie.

"Maddie, call the cops. She's trying to steal my Pokémon. Daniel, let's take her on." Maddie pulled out her cell phone and Daniel pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Last chance. If you don't hand me the Poké Ball, the police will arrest you." Chris warned.

"Just give it back," Daniel added. Again, the girl shook her head.

"No way! I chased this Clefairy for ages and I'm not gonna let you take it!" With that, the girl pulled out her own Poké Ball and threw it. With a flash, a Vulpix emerged, ready to battle.

"Ditto, we have to battle again. You ready?" Chris asked his Pokémon. Ditto was feeling tired, but he knew he had keep going to save his new teammate. Daniel was also ready to battle.

"Go, Squirtle!" the novice Trainer shouted as he lobbed his Poké Ball. Squirtle appeared in a battle stance. Without wasting time, Daniel began the match.

"Squirtle, Water Gun!"

Squirtle puffed out his chest and launched a powerful cascade of water at the Vulpix. The girl was obviously inexperienced at battling, because instead of ordering Vulpix to counter-attack, she stood there with a shocked expression on her face as her Pokémon was blown back by the Water Gun.

Chris also picked up on her inexperience. This was going to be easy.

"Ditto, Transform and see if you can use Ember!" ordered the breeder. Ditto complied and turned into an identical copy of the Vulpix. He opened his mouth and, like Chris was hoping, fired an Ember attack.

**oOo**

On the sidelines, Maddie had gotten through to the Pewter City Police Department.

"Yes, someone is attempting to steal my friend's Pokémon. No, they haven't run off yet. They're in a Pokémon battle. Alright, thanks." Maddie hung up and ran over to Chris.

"The cops are on the way. They said they'd be about half an hour," she told him. Chris nodded.

Maddie was about to join in the battle, until she had an idea. Instead of sending out Meowth, she decided to sneak around to where the thief was struggling to take on Daniel and Chris.

She was so concentrated on the battle, that she didn't notice Maddie grab her arm and snatch Clefairy's Poké Ball from her clutches. The girl whirled around, her eyes wide.

"Hey! Give me my Pokémon back!" She yelled, forgetting about the battle and grabbing wildly at Maddie. But the older girl jumped back. Maddie squeezed the Poké Ball, causing it to shrink back to its portable size. Quickly, she pocketed it and ran back to her friends.

"Chris I got it!" She exclaimed. The breeder nodded.

"Alright, let's wrap this up. Daniel, since Ditto can't use any powerful moves, care to do the honors?" Daniel nodded and smirked.

"Alright Squirtle, you heard him! Get right in Vulpix's face and use Water Gun!" Squirtle nodded and sprinted at the Vulpix. Before the girl could react, Squirtle shot the Water Gun, knocking out her Pokémon.

**oOo**

"Well, that's that. You lost. Gonna give up now?" Chris asked her sternly. The girl looked determined.

"Not until you give me what's mine!" She retorted. Chris was shocked that she thought Clefairy was hers.

"How can you think Clefairy belongs to you? I captured it!" But the girl turned her nose up at him.

"I don't care who caught it, I saw it first and that makes it mine! You have to do what I say!"

Chris was floored, and so were his friends. That girl was a spoiled brat! She was so used to having things her way, she didn't know how to handle something that wasn't.

"You're a spoiled brat. There's no way I'm handing my Pokémon over to such an immature brat, so shut up," he said. Normally he wouldn't use such language towards someone younger than him, but this was an exception.

Beside him, Maddie was wondering something, and she decided to voice it.

"How did someone with your attitude even get a Training License?" She asked, bewildered.

"Yeah! You have to pass tests to get a license! There's no way the Pokémon League would issue one to someone like you!" Daniel exclaimed.

Back in Pallet, he had taken such exams at Professor Oak's lab. He'd passed them of course, and was ecstatic. Until his parents told him he couldn't get a license. But that aside, this girl shouldn't be a Pokémon Trainer.

"That's none of your business! I can be a Pokémon Trainer if I want to! Daddy said so!"

Understanding washed over the trio. Of course! The girl's father must have arranged for her to get a license. Probably illegally, too. Suddenly, the trio heard a loud siren approaching them. Whirling around, they saw two police cars skidding to a stop along the dirt road. The doors opened, and four police officers stepped out, two from each vehicle. Chris walked towards them.

"Glad you guys got here quickly. That girl over there tried to steal my Pokémon!" The cop nodded. He flashed his badge.

"I'm officer Joshua Kallide. I did get called out here over a robbery being committed. I was told you three had engaged the thief in a Pokémon battle?" Chris nodded.

"Alright," he said as he walked over to the girl. "you are aware that stealing Pokémon is a serious crime?" The girl frowned.

"I know, but the thing is, they stole my Pokémon!" She exclaimed, pointing at the trio. In unison, their eye brows shot up.

"What?!" they said at the same time. Officer Joshua turned to them and sighed.

"Well, I know a way to sort this out. But you'll have to all come back to the station in Pewter." All four Trainers groaned.

**oOo**

Once they arrived at Pewter, they went straight to the police station. Officer Josh beckoned for them to follow him. They ended up in a room with a machine in the middle.

"This machine will tell us who caught the Pokémon. You see, Poké Ball's are linked to the Pokémon League database, and they get registered to the Trainer when they are purchased. That's why you need to present ID when you buy Poké Balls. Chris smiled. This would all be over soon.

Officer Josh put the Poké Ball onto the machine; he had previously confiscated it. Once the Poké Ball was sitting in position, the machine's screen lit up. There was a picture of Chris on the display. The machine said in an electronic voice, **This Pokémon belongs to Pokémon Trainer Christian Bullivant, Trainer Number 83826. **

**oOo**

Everything had turned out well. Chris had gotten his Pokémon back and the girl was suspended from Pokémon Training and was forced to return home. The police had even given Daniel, Maddie and Chris a ride back to the base of Mt. Moon. Now, the trio was sitting at the top of the mountain. Maddie had reminded them of her surprise and they had rushed to reach the peak.

They had just finished setting up camp and lighting the fire when Maddie said, "Look up at the sky! It's starting!"

Daniel looked up from his spot. He was sitting on the corner of their mat with Squirtle and Pidgey. Up in the bright night sky, a streak of light shot along the horizon, followed by dozens more.

"Whoa..." he whispered. Words couldn't describe what he could see. Beside him, his friends, both human and Pokémon, made similar noises of amazement. They were all lost in wonder at the display. It was like the sky was alive. It was enough to make the trio forget about the incident that occurred earlier in the day.

"You know," began Maddie, "They say each comet represents someone's hopes and dreams."

And Daniel couldn't agree more.

**oOo**

**Next Time….**

**It's smooth sailing from now! Our friends make their way down Mt. Moon and towards Cerulean City, the location of Daniel's second Badge, on the Road to the Pokémon League!**

► **To Be Continued….**

…

**Thanks for reading! This chapter was really to show you that you can meet strange individuals on the road, and sometimes in the unlikeliest of people. I'd also like some OC's to be submitted too, but make sure they aren't too powerful. If I accept yours, I'll send you a PM saying I did. If yours happens to be accepted, the trio will most likely meet them on the road, and have a battle with them. Below is the format that they should be submitted. Like always, reviews are appreciated greatly, so be sure to tell me what you think! Also, this chapter was Beta read by the wonderful Wonder42! Until next time, have a good day!**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Description:**

**Pokémon and moves:**


	10. A Choppy Capture!

**The Road to the Pokémon League**

**Hi everyone! I'm back for the big chapter 10! That's right, this is episode 10! So without further ado, here's a Pokémon holiday greeting for you!**

***Opening title theme plays***

**A Choppy Capture!**

…

**Last Time….**

**Daniel, Maddie and Chris encountered a very large bump on their journey, running into a Pokémon thief! Luckily, the police managed to intervene and stopped the girl from taking Chris's new Pokémon, the rare and elusive Clefairy. They continued on their way up Mt Moon and witnessed a rare meteor show on the mountain's peak. And now, the trio continues the long journey, slowly getting closer to Cerulean City, the site of Daniel's Cascade Badge.**

**oOo**

If there was one thing to be said about being on top of the Mt Moon Ranges Lookout, it was that tourists started flocking up there at nefariously early times. The lovely noise and smell of a Jeep gently woke the group up peacefully, the smell of diesel refreshing and invigorating.

"What the hell?!" Daniel yelled into his sleeping bag. He had been peacefully dreaming about being a Flying type Pokémon when suddenly he had began to violently cough and splutter. When he opened his eyes, he saw that a large four-wheel drive had parked literally a meter away from the mat that they had put their sleeping bags. Cursing, he struggled to stand up, but to no avail. The sleeping bag was far too tight and it restricted his ability to stand. Finally, after a valiant battle with the sleeping bag, he managed to get on his feet. Remembering that he had friends with him, Daniel looked over to where Maddie and Chris were sleeping. Sometime during the night, they had moved closer together, and were now snuggling peacefully. Daniel smirked. He wished he had a camera, but it wasn't something he'd packed.

**oOo**

"Look, we were asleep okay? It was cold last night and in order to preserve body heat, we subconsciously moved closer together!" Chris exclaimed. Next to him, Maddie vigorously nodded.

"Yeah yeah," replied Daniel. Ever since they'd left the peak of Mt Moon, the two breeders had been trying to explain themselves valiantly. But then Daniel had an explanation of his own.

"Hey, you know Mt Moon is the most romantic place in Kanto? It must be making you guys confess your undying love for each other!" Saying that particular line had made his friends threaten to steal his Boulder Badge and Pokédex.

**oOo**

It was three in the afternoon. The top of Mount Moon had been quite cool, but the bottom was a whole different story. The group had to forgo their long pants and jumpers in favor of loose shirts and shorts. But right now, the change of clothing wasn't on their minds. A Pokémon had suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. It had placed itself in the middle of the road.

"That's a Machop. I've seen a few before," said Daniel. He pulled out his Pokédex to see what he could learn about it.

**Machop is a powerful Fighting type Pokémon that lives around mountains. It is so strong, that it can life a Geodude and throw it with little effort. Approach with caution.**

Maddie, hearing the Pokédex, was a bit concerned about how Daniel would handle it. He'd obviously try to capture a powerful Pokémon like that. And true to her word, he proclaimed,

"Alright guys, I'm gonna capture Machop!"

He stepped forward to challenge it, and Maddie and Chris walked to a suitable spot to watch. Without wasting time, Daniel pulled off one of the Poké Balls on his belt.

"Let's go Pidgey!" He yelled as he threw the Poké Ball. With a flash of light, Pidgey appeared ready to battle for her Trainer.

"Alright Pidgey, Wing Attack!" Daniel commanded. Pidgey swooped towards Machop, wings glowing white. But Machop made no move to dodge. Instead, it stood there and took the attack. It was knocked back onto its knees. Daniel was shocked.

"What…?" He asked himself under his breath. He shook his head. He didn't have time to worry about why the Machop didn't try to avoid the attack.

"Great job Pidgey! Use Wing Attack again!" Once more, Pidgey swooped Machop, who once again made no effort to dodge.

**oOo**

On the sidelines, Chris was stroking his chin. He liked to think he was growing in a moustache, but hair under his nose was non-existent. He was wondering why Machop wasn't dodging Pidgey's barrage of super effective Flying type moves. Suddenly, Maddie broke the silence.

"Hey Chris? You think Machop is up to something?" Maddie asked him. Chris nodded.

"Yeah, I think it is, but I can't think of what…"

**oOo**

"Keep it up Pidgey!" Daniel encouraged his Pokémon. So far, the battle was going extremely well. But then, Machop began to pulse a bright white light. As soon as Pidgey was in range, Machop shot the energy surrounding it in a large arc. The energy engulfed Pidgey and sent her flying backwards. Daniel could tell she was unconscious. Shocked, he pointed Pidgey's Poké Ball at her and she was sucked back inside.

"What the…." He mumbled to himself. He'd never seen an attack like that before. Shaking his head, he snapped out of it and pulled out Squirtle's Poké Ball.

"Let's go Squirtle!" Daniel yelled as he threw the Poké Ball. As soon as his starter was out, he began the battle.

"Use Water Gun!" Squirtle puffed out his chest and the familiar jet of pressurized water arced through the air at Machop. This time however, Machop held out its arms and allowed the Water Gun to hit its outstretched palms. Slowly, the attack pushed Machop back, its feet making indentations on the dirt road.

"Keep pushing Squirtle!" Daniel encouraged Squirtle. He figured that simply muscling past Machop's defenses would be enough to win. Squirtle puffed out his chest even more and intensified the Water Gun even more. In response, Machop grunted and tensed its body, refusing to move. It was a battle of wills now, with both Pokémon pushing as hard as they possibly could.

**oOo**

"Wow," Maddie whispered. She was seeing a whole new side of Daniel, one that she only saw during intense battles. Beside her, Chris was thinking the same thing. He turned to Maddie.

"You know, I've heard from some of the Trainers from Saffron that Pallet Town raises some of the most spirited Pokémon Trainers in the world." He laughed "you know what? I agree."

Maddie couldn't help but smile.

**oOo**

Daniel knew that Squirtle wouldn't be able to keep up the Water Gun forever. He needed to end the battle soon or else he would lose. He wracked his brain thinking of something he could do. Then, his mind flashed back to the battle in Viridian Forest.

_**Squirtle, go into your shell and use Water Gun to propel yourself at Beedrill!**_

Daniel's eyes widened. That's it!

"Squirtle, use Withdraw and then Water Gun to propel yourself!"

"Squirt!" _Ok!_

Squirtle cut off the attack and popped into his shell. Then, a stream of water shot past Daniel, and Squirtle began to move along the ground like a hockey puck. At the same time, Machop had stumbled forward after finding itself pushing against air. By the time it had recovered, Squirtle was hurtling towards it at high speeds. The improvised attack proved effective, because it smashed Machop right in the forehead. The grey Pokémon's eyes rolled backwards, and it collapsed, completely knocked out. Seeing his chance, Daniel reached to his belt and plucked an empty Poké Ball. With a mighty roar, he hurled it as hard as he could. The Poké Ball sailed through the air, hitting the downed Machop on the head. It opened, turning Machop into a red light before sucking it in and closing. It began to wobble, and before long, it stopped with a sharp _ping! _A grin broke out on Daniel's face.

"Alright! Great job Squirtle!" He congratulated his starter. He picked up Squirtle and rubbed his head. Maddie and Chris ran to join him.

"Nice job man!" Chris said. "I didn't know Squirtle could use Rapid Spin." Daniel laughed.

"So that thing has a name," he replied. The group shared a laugh.

**oOo**

It was sunset. The retreating sun had cast an orange glow across the Kanto region. The group was planning on stopping soon, but then they had seen something encouraging on the side of the road. They had rushed to read the road sign. It was pointing in the direction of Cerulean City, saying that it was only two kilometers away. But most interestingly, there was some graffiti on it done in extremely faded marker. It had been hard to see, but it said '**Gary was here! Ash is a loser!**' The group had shared a laugh at the unfortunate person who had their name scribbled on a road sign and moved on, looking forward to a well earned rest in Cerulean City's Pokémon Center.

**oOo**

**Next Time….**

**Instead of rushing headfirst into the next Gym, Daniel and his friends have decided to spend the next few days training! They decide to take a trip to the Kanto Power Plant, hoping to find some new Pokémon to capture. **

► **To Be Continued...**

…

**Thanks for reading! Our Trainers made it to Cerulean City in only two days, so I decided for them to spend the next few days training to prepare for the Gym. After all, it's said that the Cerulean Gym is one of the toughest in Kanto. Once again, this was Beta read by the wonderful Wonder42, so be sure to check her stuff out! Gotta Catch Ya Later!**


End file.
